Insecurity In Edo: Rallying Round Ize-Iyamu To Victory As Panacea -By Isaac Asabor

That the contemporary state of insecurity in Edo State is unprecedented should not be in doubt. What should actually be in doubt is whether the incumbent governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki and his team has what it takes to tackle the hydra-headed challenge that is majorly shrouded in the dualism of robbery and kidnapping .

Without any iota of exaggeration, the foregoing view may have compelled some readers of this piece to be questioning nobody in particular on how come the seeming intractable twin security challenges are by each passing day becoming deep-rooted and predominant in the State. The response to the nagging question cannot be farfetched as crime is an obnoxious phenomenon that is bedeviling various States across the country in varying degrees, and has in that vein been affecting policies and development.

However, the fact remains that any State striving towards development must reduce the frequency of crime to the barest minimum. But alas! In recent years, it has been to the contrary in Edo as there has been an upsurge in the frequency of crime committed without definite strategies on the part of the government to remedy the condemnable situation.

This has led to palpable fear among Edolites; both at home and in diaspora, as security of lives and properties can no longer be guaranteed. The phenomenon of crime has impacted negatively on the economic, social and political life of the State over time.

The youth demographic in Edo, no doubt, represents the driving force for development in the State. However, for the youths to become useful resources, they must be gainfully employed. The youths are also the most volatile when their energies are misdirected or channeled into wrong endeavors. Available data show that youth unemployment is very rampant in Edo and this has contributed immensely to their involvement in criminal activities. Also, there is no denying the fact that criminal activities such as armed robbery, kidnapping, political thuggery and other social vices are among the unemployed and jobless youths , and the situation has contributed greatly to the slow pace of development in Edo State.

At this juncture, it cannot be wrong to opine that Edolites are at the moment curiously asking, “Why is the security architecture in the state so ineffective? The riposte to the foregoing question being asked by the people cannot be farfetched as the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress in Edo State, (APC), Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, has said that the current administration of Governor Godwin Obaseki receives huge amount of money monthly as security vote, but gives the police little.

The APC Gubernatorial flag bearer recently made the allegation during a live broadcast on his Facebook, marking the commencement of an announced weekly online engagement which, according to his Campaign Organization, is part of the party’s adaptations to directly converse with the people on safe platforms in line with health regulations and INEC’s guidelines.
Responding to a question about how he would tackle security challenges in the state if elected, Ize-Iyamu pledged to dedicate more resources to combatting insecurity and queried the present administration’s sincerity to securing lives and property.

He said, “The present government has not been able to show any serious commitment to the security funding of the state. Every month, the governor collects millions as security vote and gives the police little. That does not show commitment to security. The amount is not even enough to fuel vehicles”, he said. Ize-Iyamu further expressed concerns about how Edo seems to be the only state in the South-South that has not made adequate investments in technology which can be used to combat crime. “In this age, what is our investment in technology? Edo state might be the only state in the South-South that does not have trackers that can be used to trace kidnappers. The government must show sincerity in combating crime.”

It would be recalled that the issue of adequate Security for Edolites has consistently remained a worrisome concern to Ize-Iyamu as an Edolite, and in his quest to govern Edo State. For instance, the alphabet, “S”, in his SIMPLE Agenda Manifesto acronymically represents “Security and Social Welfare”.

Given his passion and seeming obsession in the area of Security and social welfare for Edolites across the 18 local government areas, there is no denying the fact that Ize-Iyamu would be capable of empowering the police for efficient performance in the fight against insecurity when he becomes the next governor in the State. The foregoing optimistic view cannot be pooh-poohed as the APC flag bearer is poised to tackle the problem of insecurity in the State.

In fact, the dimension which the security situation in the State has assumed, especially in the recent time, is appalling. It is on the basis of this fact that Edolites or rather the electorates, in the upcoming election scheduled for September 19 should massively rally round Ize-Iyamu as he has what it takes to confront the situation headlong.

In this context, it is not an exaggeration to say that the war against insecurity in the State may not be won without a critical examination of the status quo by a true leader in the caliber of Ize-Iyamu, and for the fact that he is readily disposed to prudently manage the State’s resources in the fight against insecurity. With his spiritual and moral backgrounds it is unarguable that he understands that the high rate of violent crime in the State today cannot be extricated from the challenges posed by unemployment, especially to the youth.

Being a leader that understands that welfare is a type of government support intended to ensure that members of a society meet basic human needs such as food and shelter, and to a large extent discourages criminality and violence, Ize-Iyamu in his SIMPLE Agenda has a robust Social Welfare Programme.

Against the foregoing backdrop, he lamented, “With a population of 3.2 million people and a landmass of 18,000 square Km, Edo State is bigger by land size and population than many countries. Despite this status, the state does not have an institutionalized social welfare system to cater for the needs of our people”.

Ostensibly demonstrating how the foregoing sociological challenges would be addressed when he becomes the governor, he assured that every Edolite will be allotted a personalized life time Social Security Number, and added that every child born the State will also have a dedicated Social Security Number. He assured that in that light, the need for assistance amongst our women, children, the physically challenged, and the elderly and vulnerable members of the society would easily be tracked. Not only had that, he assured that “Appropriate legislation and initiatives that will protect the helpless and disabled persons in the State from discrimination and exploitation will be enacted, and added that “Free health access for the elderly, pregnant women and children below the age of five will be put in place and vigorously pursued”.

To realize a robust social welfare provision for Edolites, Ize-Iyamu in his SIMPLE Agenda has the policies that will protect widows and children of the deceased from harassment and intimidation will be initiated and enforced. Under such policies, he assured that provision will be made to ensure that widows and children have easier access to the estate, pension and other assets or benefit of the deceased.