Awka
Anambra State Government on Thursday denied reports that it is registering traditional spiritualists to combat insecurity.
Earlier this week, the State Commissioner for Information, Chief Paul Nwosu, said the State Government has commenced the registration of native doctors and allied practitioners in the state to sanitise the sector.
The Commissioner had said the decision was part of the resolutions reached at the Anambra State Executive Council (ANSEC) meeting, held at the Government House on Tuesday.
According to him, the development followed a discovery that some of the native doctors were aiding criminals in the state, who have adopted the name, unknown gunmen, by providing them with assorted charms.
However, some online media platforms had twisted the story to imply that the government wants to engage the native doctors to combat crime.
Speaking with TNC correspondent in Anambra, the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Chukwuma Soludo, Christian Aburime described as false and mischievious, the write-ups and comments about the State engaging Traditional Spiritualists to combat insecurity.
He said while it is a general knowledge that government alone cannot fight insecurity, it is instructive to note that the story of engaging Traditional Spiritualists by Anambra State Government to fight insecurity, is not true as being peddled by some mischief makers.
“The attention of Anambra State Government has been drawn to several mischievous write-ups and misleading comments about the State engaging Traditional Spiritualists to combat insecurity.
“What the State Government has said as explained by the Commissioner of Information, Sir Paul Nwosu, is that Anambra State Executive Council (ANSEC) has approved the registration of Traditional Medicine Practitioners and to categorize them under Herbalists and Spiritualists with a view to identifying those among them that support and protect criminals.
“The Commissioner further explained that while government appreciates the fact that some of them add value to health care, it is also not unaware that some also have helped to imbue these criminals with the dare-devil confidence that has driven them into committing despicable crimes such as kidnapping, extortion of ransom, beheading, etc.
“He added that after the registration exercise, where they are found culpable on such crimes, it will be easy to fish them out from the register.
“From the foregoing, it is very clear that the government is taking this necessary step as part of its proactive and holistic efforts to curb insecurity in the State.
“Therefore, the news making the rounds that the State Government has engaged the services of Traditional Spiritualists to fight insecurity, is completely false and unfounded.
“Governor Chukwuma Soludo will continue to do everything possible to ensure that sanity, peace, law and order is fully restored in Anambra State,” he concluded.
