Nigeria Has Not Forgiven Igbos Over The Civil War – Rtd Police Commissioner

Awka – A Retired Commissioner of Police in Delta State, Chief Ikechukwu Aduba believes the disposition of the Nigerian Government towards the Southeastern region, shows that they still bear animosity against the people over the Nigeria Civil War that occurred from 1967 to 1970.

Aduba, who is the Chairman, Anambra State Vigilante Supervisory Committee, was speaking on Friday, when he received the Anambra State Director of National Orientation Agency (NOA), Barr Charles Nworji and his management team who called on him in his office in Awka.

The Former Police Commissioner said the neglect of the Southeast region is so massive and glaring that one wonders whether the central government still bears grudge against Igbo people for their position during the war.

He highlighted poor road infrastructure in the region, exclusion of Ndigbo from the nation’s top security team, challenge of migrant farmers ravaging farmlands in the region, lopsided appointments among others, as indices that Ndigbo have not been treated fairly in the present administration.

Aduba who said Ndigbo are not happy with the present administration, noted that Igbo leaders should be vocal in registering the concerns of their people over the bad treatment they are receiving from the Federal government.

“We don’t know whether they have forgiven us about the Civil war. You talk of migrant headers who on constant basis ravage our farms and when you talk about ranching here, they will hush you. The Federal Government is guilty of discriminating openly, people of the Southeast region. And this makes you wonder whether people from here are still Nigerians. Merit should be the basis for equitable sharing of the nation’s scarce resources at the center and not the other way round. Nigerian Police Force, as a matter of fact, needs to be decentralized as obtained in the global villages with a view to ensuring water- tight police network in the country,” he queried.

The Security guru noted that all these ill-treatments have culminated in total mistrust in the Federal Government and President Muhammadu Buhari should live the true meaning of his mantra of change.

He faulted the continued use of the current crop of Service Chiefs who he noted have show lack of capacity to address the serious security challenge in the country.
“The security architecture of this country has people from only one area and when we clamour for their change, the President will refuse. Iwas in service for 33 years and I left. Somebody is already there for 39 years and he is still there, blocking opportunities for younger people who can inject new blood and fresh ideas into solving the nation’s security imbroglio. Sometimes, I wonder where we are headed to in this country with this kind of leadership,” he quipped.

Aduba revealed that the State Vigilante Group was created by law in 2014 as alternative and complementary local security outfit to Nigerian Police, adding that Police in the State cannot talk of its successes without mentioning the Group in the State.

“The vigilante group in the state made most of the arrests in the State and later handed over to police for further actions. So the vigilante here is a very important outfit and they have worked hand in hand with the police. We will work with NOA to achieve the mandate of the agency as far as we can,” he assured.

Earlier while briefing the Vigilante Boss on the essence of their visit, the State NOA Director, Barrister Nwoji, said is excited to seek for partnership with the outfit which is a very important local security unit in the State, pointing out that NOA places high premium on the vigilante as a grassroots group.

Barrister Nwoji, who expressed optimism that the visit would afford NOA a favourable opportunity to collaborate the Group in the fight against Open Defecation, Sexual and Gender Base Violence, resurgence of the Second Wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, among other social vices in the Society, affirmed that NOA is committed towards changing the people’s attitudes positively so that they can do the right thing in the Society.

He also pleaded with the leadership of the Group to bring its expertise to bear towards persuading the people to cease from engaging in cultism, consumption of prevalence illicit drugs and Violence Against Persons during the Christmas celebration in the State.

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