Edo State indigenes create platform to support security personnel
The Edo State indigenes all over the world, have created a UNUEDO Renaissance, a group of professionals, targeted at assisting the government to find solutions to insecurity in order to achieve lasting peace and sustainable development.
The group held its first in the series of webinars that would focus on issues and challenges bedeviling the state on Sunday 24th April 2022, to find workable immediate, medium to long-term solutions.
In a communique issued at the end of the important engagement, the group disclosed that it drew the participation of over 100 Edo sons and daughters from across the globe, who raised their concerns about the need to make the state safe and secure for indigenes and visitors to thrive in an atmosphere of peace for the needed progress, growth and development of our various communities.
Welcoming participants to the maiden webinar series, the President of UNUEDO Renaissance, Mr. Nuhu Yakubu, said the aim was to offer a platform for the security personnel in Edo State to discuss developments, and compare notes with indigenes and residents who are at the receiving end of their services.
The ultimate aim, he continued, was to enable cross-pollination of ideas towards finding a workable way forward, in a manner that can result in a convergence of thoughts and efforts for the benefit of the state and its people.
He said the webinar was essentially about whether there are identifiable efforts “by the state government as per security in your locality and if that effort is yielding fruits. If it is yielding fruits but not up to the optimum, what do you think is the reason why we are not getting the full benefits of such government efforts, and what can be done? That is essentially what we want to hear from ourselves.”
Participants appreciated UNUEDO for organizing the event, as well as commended the various state actors – Mrs. Omololu Ojehomon, the Edo State Commissioner for Public Security and Safety; Mr. William Waba, a Chief Superintendent of Police and the Chief Security Officer to the Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki; and the Coordinator of the Edo State Community Vigilante Network, Mr. Oboh Emmanuel Otoide, for attending and answering questions posed and concerns expressed, as well as solutions proffered at the webinar.
According to the communique, “Participants generally agreed that there still are serious security challenges in Edo State, but appreciated the various efforts at making the state safe and secure for all. There was a consensus of opinion that security is everyone’s responsibility and that all should be security conscious, hence the need to support the efforts of members of the Edo State Community Vigilante Security Network (volunteer vigilantes) who were highly commended.
“The need to fashion a workable solution to the security challenge in Edo State was agreed upon, given its effects on investments, commerce, industry, agro-allied activities, commuters and the socio-cultural lives of the people. There were also calls for proper profiling and background checking in the process of recruiting prospective members into the various community-based vigilante groups.
“Participants also called for an adequate multi-layer structure (unit, district and zonal) for enhanced monitoring to identify and flush out notorious vigilante team members, as a deterrent to all others. The webinar also noted the need for government and security agencies to partner, support and unify the operations of the various local vigilante groups for effective coordination and more efficient service delivery.
“They called for improved synergy between the community-based vigilantes and the Police, in such areas as joint patrolling and surveillance of various communities within their catchment areas on a continuous and sustainable basis, to cement an established handshake between the Police and local vigilantes.
“The report by the commissioner on the strength of the various vigilante groups was noted, but participants called for continuous update of the database and reorientation of members. The motivation of the various vigilante group members by way of well-established and defined remuneration packages was also stressed, besides the provision of necessary tools by the government, well-meaning organizations and individuals, for improved security coverage. This, it was noted will encourage the volunteers, some of who could be jobless and prone to evil.
“Participants appreciated the establishment of a Ministry of Public Security and Safety, urging the commissioner to seek help from stakeholders in laying the much-needed foundation, while closely monitoring data mining, information gathering, and activities of the vigilante groups for current and future purposes. The promise by the Commissioner to train members of the vigilante groups on standard operating procedures was highly commended, as participants agreed that such will help operatives perform better.
“Participants charged the commissioner to quickly develop the necessary policy and legislative framework to govern vigilante security operations through an Executive Bill to the Edo State House of Assembly, while ensuring proper management and coordination of security fundraising efforts, equipment donations, and other support activities at all levels. The webinar also noted the call for support by the state to set up a security trust fund to enable it to acquire technical crime-fighting tools like drones, beginning with modalities for the various individual and corporate support.
“Government was also enjoined to fashion an accountability framework for the vigilante which will lend credibility to the entire system, and in the process serve as oversight on their activities. The webinar also noted the role of intelligence gathering and covert operations to prevent attacks and ensure speedy response time and support.
“While applauding recent efforts at combing the Ewohimi, Ewatto to Ubiaja road axis, participants called for the building of a comprehensive intelligence mechanism to sustain such efforts. To ensure transparency in the process of remunerating the volunteers, the webinar noted the need to adopt the e-wallets system, to check misappropriation by third parties.
“Participants welcomed the new Commissioner of Police in the state, and applauded his renewed resolve to tackle security challenges, especially cases like the alleged sacking of 12 communities in Ovia North Local Government, urging him to fulfill his promise and arrest the ugly incidents, in view of similar assurances in the past that were never kept. Participants also red-flagged attempts at profiling of various cattle herder groups to continue operating in the forests in a collaborative exercise with the state, warning that such could be counterproductive.
“Members equally called on the state government to immediately seek collaboration and synergy among multi-level stakeholders to fashion a fool-proof security architecture for Edo state, while agreeing on delivery timelines and responsibilities. It was also agreed that all hunters should be engaged and involved in combing the various forests in the state.
“Members also harped on the need to ensure the entire security process is not politicized and possibly hijacked. There was also the suggestion for local sensitisation via clustered village meetings to spur the passion, interests and participation of community-resident youths. In view of the statement by the Commissioner about the evil perpetrated by community leaders who fuel the farmer/herder clashes, participants called on the government to ensure that those found guilty are punished, to deter others, while putting measures in place to prevent a recurrence.”
It added: “Participants also called for a multi-level stakeholders’ security workshop that would attract retired Generals, the IGP, DIGs, AIGs, and CPs, in collaboration with the various social-cultural organisations of Edo extraction, among others, to birth the much needed enduring security architecture. This will create the necessary synergy between the experts, stakeholders and the government for improved effectiveness.”
