In a bid to curtail the rising insecurity in the area, Ikwerre Local Government Area of Rivers State has inaugurated a local vigilante group, OSPAC into her security architecture.
While presiding over the Council’s security meeting, Samuel Nwanosike said that he convoked the meeting in order to discuss the new strategy devised in tackling insecurities in the LGA and seek for the blessings and support of the concerned stakeholders.
According to him: “The reason why we called for this meeting is not far from what you all know that has been bedevilling our society.
“And so we met as a security committee at the Local Government level. As the Chief Security Officer, I and all the Security Heads, led by the Area Commander of Isiokpo, sat down and reviewed the strategies we have been deploying in the past one after another and came to conclusion that there is another strategy we need to bring on board. And that strategy is what we have come here today to discuss”.
The council boss regretted that criminals and hoodlums who have nothing to offer to society had made life difficult for the people of Ikwerre LGA to live and do business.
He also lamented that women now find it difficult to go to farm because of fear of what may happen to them, adding that the proceeds from farm were what most parents use in training their children but now find it difficult to feed and train their children because they can no longer go to farm due to the hoodlums who have now chosen to make the farm their places of dwelling.
He asserted that as a chairman of government that listens to the people, he believed that the right thing to do was to always bring the concerned stakeholders on board so as to be on the same page with them.
The council chairman said, “We decided to contract the vigilante that had fought the devil that was bedevilling ONELGA people. They call them OSPAC. And we said, OSPAC we want you to come and join our security architecture so that you will give us support to what we are doing”.
He revieled that Emohua and Etche Local Government Areas are also trying to adopt the OSPAC method so that the hoodlums will have no place to run to and stated that bringing OSPAC has nothing to do with politics, but only aimed at sanitising Ikwerreland.
“This has nothing to do with politics, favouritism, contact or trying to benefit from whatever purpose. We want to sanitise our land”,
He beseeched the concerned stakeholders to embrace OSPAC by saying that, “OSPAC is only coming to complement what we are doing and need your supports.
“Hence, open your spiritual doors and allow them to join in this battle. And why we have come here is to hear from you and receive your blessings”.
Hon Nwanosike recalled that Rivers State governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, has declared that any community or domain where a traditional ruler is overseeing and criminals take the lead by committing crimes, kidnapping people and making people’s lives unbearable under his watch, the Certificate of Recognition of such traditional ruler would be withdrawn.
While praising the security agencies for all their unrelenting efforts in combating insecurities in Ikwerre LGA, he stated that no LGA in Rivers State has the amount of check-points Ikwerre LGA has yet insecurity seems to remain unabated.
The council chairman vehemently condemned the burning of the home residence of the Vice Chancellor of Rivers State University, Prof Blessing Chimezie Didia, by hoodlums, saying that immediately he got the information he mobilised security agencies to go and arrest the situation.
He also banned all street trading in Isiokpo, Igwuruta, Omagwa and Aluu, also ban Sand dredging in Ikwerre Local Govt .
Meanwhile, Mr Nwanosike has handed over two operational vehicles to the commander of (OSPAC) Mr. Goodluck Okoro.
The vehicles were presented by Mr. Egbe Emeka who represented the area commander of Isiokpo police division.
