From Magnus Eze, Enugu
Former Executive Chairman, Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), Professor Sam Amadi, Enugu State Commissioner of Police, Kanayo Uzegbu, other security chiefs and youth leaders have proffered solutions to the intractable security challenges in the South East.
They spoke at the Youth Security Summit in Enugu, organised by Peace and Good Governance Group (P3G), in collaboration with the Enugu State Command of the Nigeria Police Force.
Amadi, who was the guest lecturer, called for the formation of the South East Economic Development and Security Council, that would coordinate and enhance the work of the police and other security agencies. He blamed politicians from the zone for the collapse of security in the region, positing that the nonchalant attitude of the leaders and the perception of the youths had not helped the situation too.
He said: “The aggravator of insecurity in the south east today is the perception and belief by young people that nobody cares for them, that they’re victims of unfair state actions; it may not be true, but that perception has to be managed and dealt with. Young people need assurance that their lives matter. If we, the elders, don’t give them that assurance, they’re going to unleash insecurity.”
Highlighting the importance of security, he urged the youth to be in the frontline of promoting peace, as they were usually the victims of insecurity.
He suggested “the change of the name of the regional security outfit; Ebubeagu to ‘Anya-oha’ because Ebubeagu suggests too much focus on kinetics force. We need to have a security system based on intelligence and community support.
“Anya-oha will be a system, where the people themselves will contribute intelligence to protect themselves just as it’s obtainable in other climes.”
He also said a new political will to advocate the release of the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, must be deployed to eliminate fifth columnists hiding under that to cause trouble in the region.
“We recommend the mapping of the hotbeds in terms of insecurity and flush the kidnappers out of those dens. We have to continuously tell our youths not to bring war to our home because it’s only a fool that brings war to his mother’s kitchen, advocate true democracy and election of competent people that will protect the people and, finally, as well as creating a programme through which to win the hearts of the youths through diplomacy,” Amadi stated.
ºCommissioner of Police, Uzuegbu, who spoke on “Nigerian security system; Youth activism and its implications for peace and security in a changing time,” said the strength of any nation is its youths. However, he said the youth needed to be guided, so that they do not make the society inhabitable.
“I want to appeal to the youths to be of good conduct and have a sense of purpose and understand that they exist to make the state better, and they shouldn’t rise up against the same state, and the state should also not rise against them,” the police boss counselled.
Convener of the summit, Monday Diamond Ani, said the programme became necessary due to the rising insecurity in the region and “because security is everyone’s business and a secured and peaceful environment breeds economic viability, peaceful coexistence and unity of purpose.”
Ani said the summit provided a platform for “proper communication, reorientation and interactions between the security chiefs/stakeholders and the youth in our society.”