Ofala: Obi of Onitsha Expenses Worry Over Insecurity, Reactionary Security Approach to Violent Crimes

By Praise Chinecherem

The Obi of Onitsha Igwe, Nnaemeka Achebe has decried growing spate of crime in Onitsha, Anambra State.

He blamed the ugly trend partly on reactive approach of security personnel to fighting crime in the area, saying residents had wholly relied on vigilante services.

Speaking at the 2023 Onitsha Ofala festival, regretted that the commercial city of the state has become the destination for most jobless and transient youths from the rural community in search for elusive better life.

He said, “Like other large cities in the country, Onitsha had its own share of security challenges during the year and continuing.

“Being the centerpiece of a massive urban spread of contiguous communities, it is virtually impose to ringfence our community from the overall security situation in the urban conundrum.

“Consequently, our main challenges remain youth unemployment, gangsterism, touting, homelessness, petty and armed robbery, cultism, drug addiction, child prostitution, rape,etc.

“Unfortunately, the Indigenous community is not spared of these pressured of urbanization, and we constantly struggling to maintain a balance between our traditional life and modernisation.”

He added, “The relevance for prevention is, therefore, wholly on our vigilante services in two formations.

“These are the Anambra State Vigilante Group( AVG), numbering 25 persons under the command of the state and the Onicha Ado community vigilante ( OCVU), numbering about 59 persons under the command of Ime Obi Obi Obi Onicha.

“Both groups work collaboratively together and with the statutory agencies, occasionally supported by Onitsha Youths Council, to maintain relative peace in the common.

“Our biggest challenge is the inadequacy of funding for salaries, equipment, and consumables which is literally borne by the community, except for the paltry state government contribution of only N10,000 each for ten persons per month only.

” Their minimum salary of N20,000 is below the national minimum wage salary and we have to augment with benefits in kind.

” The other major challenge is needed to structurally merge the two vigilante groups under one command for optimum effect.

“he Ofala Festival had grown steadily in terms of its scopes, social glamour, and intrinsic meaning for Ndi Onicha.

“With the strides that it (Ofala) has made, the Ofala continues to receive both national and international recognition.”

Igwe Achebe praised Governor Chukwuma Soludo for his significant accomplishments in the state during his short tenure in office.

He also extolled Soludo for his plans for Onitsha and assured the Governor of the full support of the State Traditional Rulers Council, which he chairs.

Responding, Soludo congratulated Igwe Achebe for celebrating his 22nd Ofala Festival and wished him well in his reign on the throne.

He also thanked the people of Onitsha for consistently projecting the foremost Ofala festival which has successively been celebrated annually.

“Reading through the brochure, I saw all you have done during the last twelve months; some independently, some in partnership with the government and the private sector,” Soludo said.

He also spoke about the importance of Onitsha to the Igbo people, saying, “The greater Onitsha which is Onitsha North, Onitsha South, Ogbaru, Idemili North and Idemili South is Obi ndigbo and if Onitsha doesn’t move forward, the igbo race will also, not move forward.”

Soludo reiterated his commitment to developing Onitsha, saying, “Our emphasis on government is majorly on Onitsha and I assure you that the dry bones shall rise again. We have undertaken massive road infrastructural development in Onitsha.”

The governor, accompanied by his wife, Mrs. Nonye Soludo, vowed to eradicate the tout menace that has been haunting Onitsha and the state at large.

He said, “We have reiterated that touts must leave Onitsha. We can’t continue to condone the frequent harassment of touts at Upper Iweka.

“We arrest them in hundreds and they keep flooding into the State but we won’t relent on the fight against touts until they all leave permanently.”