Over N17million was on Wednesday handed over by Azia community in Ihiala Local Government Area of Anambra state to the local vigilante towards tackling security in the area.
The community also provided a patrol vehicle, 7 motorcycles and 7 walkie talkies, while Deputy Speaker of State House of Assembly, Hon. Paschal Agbodike and Chairman of the occasion, Eurial Chukwubundum donated N1 million each.
Presenting the cash and equipment during inauguration of Azia Unit of Anambra Vigilante Group, AVG, President-General of Azia Town Union, Dr. Nwabueze Tonna explained that the move was to revitalize the community’s security architecture.
“It is the desire of the community to key into the state government’s resolve to maintain the status of the state as the safest in the country in terms of security of lives and property. Security is everybody’s business and should not be left for government alone. That’s why the community decided to raise these funds and provide other logistics to enable our vigilante outfit to deliver on its mandate,” he said.
In his remarks, the Chairman, Anambra State Vigilante Welfare Committee and Special Adviser to Governor Willie Obiano on Vigilante Matters, Chief Rommy Ezeonwuka, praised the community for resisting hoodlums from burning down their Police Station during the #EndSARS protests.
He stressed that all hands must be on deck to ensure that criminals were flushed out of the state, charging other communities to emulate them in their own interest.
Responding, Chairman of the State Vigilante Supervisory Committee and Senior Special Assistant, SSA to the Governor on Vigilante Matters, Chief Ikechukwu Ayo Aduba, commended the community for the self-help security initiative.
Aduba, a retired Commissioner of Police, who also presented AVG pamphlet containing their Code of Conduct as guidelines for their future operations, urged members to avoid conduct capable of tarnishing the image of the security outfit, assuring of his men’s preparedness to train security operatives from willing communities.
On his part, Deputy Speaker, Paschal Agbodike urged wealthy sons and daughters of the state to lend support to their respective AVG Units to ensure maximum co-operation.
“Anambra State has a lot of wealthy sons and daughters who have made immense wealth across their various endeavours. If these individuals can contribute a little of their wealth towards supporting their security outfits in their communities, the issue of insecurity will be a thing of the past soon,” he opined.
