SECURING LIVES AND PROPERTY IN ABIA STATE: GOVERNOR OKEZIE IKPEAZU’S APPROACH
By Kingsley Maduforo
The first mandate and obligation of government is the maintenance of law and order and the protection of lives and property of the citizenry. The lack of security of lives and property of the citizenry is a severe hindrance to meaningful development. A climate of fear frightens both domestic and foreign investors.
The effects of crime on the economy of a state or country are very damaging. A state or country where crime and crises are rampant cannot be viable economically, neither can the system generate enough support and affection required for a sustainable economic and infrastructural development. Crime if not handled appropriately can rob a state the benefits of economic development because scarce available resources that should have been deployed to execute developmental projects will be hindered.
Instability, conflict, insecurity, violence, organized crime, corruption, etc, do not only deter investment, hinder trade, divert public social expenditure, hamper access to education, health, and other basic services; they also severely weaken democracy, human rights and rule of law which are the very core values of governance, even Gov. Ikpeazu’s principles of good governance.
How has Governor Okezie Ikpeazu fared in achieving the goal of effective security of lives and property? Apart from the establishment of the Office of Homeland Security with a Special Adviser, the Governor recently in the first official activities of his second term journey procured twenty (20) Innoson Hilux Vans which he has handed over to the Commissioner of Police, Abia State for the security apparatus in the state. He has also established community-based watch organizations involving traditional rulers, youths and political influencers. These are quite recommendable efforts geared toward the effective security of lives and property.
Addressing the security-development nexus is therefore an imperatively moral and political obligation guiding Gov. Ikpeazu’s action towards providing good governance. The Governor is focused on giving Abians quality socio-economic and infrastructural development and providing an environment that is conducive for investment and business growth. It is a known fact that Abia state, Aba especially, is factor in the economic growth of Nigeria. Gov. Ikpeazu’s transformation and standardization of the Made-in-Aba brand and its launch in the international market indeed point to the radical change and progress witnessed in the security apparatus in Abia state.
This recent gesture of providing twenty (20) Hilux Vans to the security agencies in the state and a promise to provide additional ten (10) of such vans will help to curtail crime across the state and help position the state in the paths of economic and infrastructural progress. This is a good step in the right direction and I encourage other governors to imitate this.
Kingsley Maduforo, a Media/Political Analyst, writes from Aba.
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