Why insecurity is thriving in Nigeria – ADC guber candidate

*Says no election will be successful amidst insecurity

From BONIFACE OKORO, Umuahia

The Governorship Candidate of Africa Democratic Congress (ADC) for the 2023 governorship election in Abia State, Bishop Dr. Sunday Ndukwo Onuoha, has identified exclusion of strategic community institutions from politics as a major factor driving insecurity in the country, particularly in the South East.

He expressed fears that  insecurity in the land would impede transparent and successful polls, saying that elections could only be credible and transparent when there is peace and security.

Bishop Onuoha noted that the growing insecurity in the country resulted from the systematic insulation of known traditional community institutions: traditional rulers, town unions and the church from participating not only in politics, but not given clear cut roles and responsibilities in governance of the communities.

Onouha added that governing the communities from government houses, rather than from the societies by state governments; and the federal government running the country from Aso Rock Villa, gave rise to wrong perceptions that have created the loopholes for the exclusion of the tripodal community institutions.

Onuoha who spoke at a Media Interactive Forum in Umuahia on Monday, October 10, 2022, organized by the Correspondents Chapel of Abia State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalist (NUJ), said these institutions knew the best ways to handle security issues and ensure peace at the grassroots.

The Forum is being organized to interrogate candidates on their manifestoes and how they intend to achieve it if elected into the various offices they were vying for.

“You cannot be involved as a traditional ruler in politics and when discussions are being made about politicking, you are asked not to put your mouth, something is wrong with it. You have other institutions that should provide the security of the community and these are people that an average person comes to with faith, confidence and trust: those are the Reverend Fathers, Pastors and the clergy. And the Church is told the Church should not be involved in politics.

“So, you remove the church, don’t be involved in politics; you remove the traditional rulers, don’t be involved in politics. Who then should be involved in politics? It means we have completely made the society in such a way that men of character, men of morality shall never be at the table when political discussions are being made and today, we are crying about the insecurity in the land. The people that should be involved in security and discussing it are not properly equipped,” Onuoha asserted.

He also noted that Town Unions, which are drivers of community development, particularly in Igbo land, have also been excluded from politics and governance of the communities by governments. “How much and how far are the Presidents-General of the various communities involved in the security of the communities,” he queried.

“If you bring these three people together – the President-General, the Church and the traditional ruler, they will fight insecurity in every community; and because we have thought in many places in governance, that governance is done from Government House, governance is done from the Villa, that is wrong perception and that is why we are having insecurity. Governance is done in communities.

“There is no community that does not have owners of the community. Those owners of the community, they know when bad people come into that community,” the ADC governorship hopeful said.

Drawing from his first hand experience as a former President-General of Item in Bende Local Government Area of Abia State, the Methodist Bishop of Evangelism  said his administration, which lasted for almost 12 years, put in place, measures that ensured security in the community.

“I have a privilege and that privilege is that in these three institutions, I belong to two: the clergy and the Town Union. I was the President-General of Item for eleven and half years and Item is one of the largest communities in Abia.

“Throughout my tenure, if you are a bad person, you want to come into Item, you will come in, we will not kill you but you will not leave. And Item became the safest community in Igboland till today. We put institutions in place that made sure Item is safe and I can assure you from what I know as the President-General of Item, if it is translated to various communities in Abia and other communities in Igboland, there will be security in Igboland. I have practiced it and I know it could be done,” he said.

The Abia ADC Governorship Candidate said that he would involve not just those listed as part of the community institutions but also the rural people in the running of Abia State if given the mandate by the electorate next year.

“Make me the governor of the state, I will sit down with the local government Chairmen, traditional rulers, the church and Town Union leaders and say this is how much that is coming to me, this is how much I am getting as governor, how are we going to make sure that we use it most efficiently,” he promised.

Bishop Onuoha who was a Special Assistant to former President Olusegun Obasanjo on Privatisation, said such inclusion would promote transparency, accountability, peace and development of the state through the communities.

He urged the federal government to quickly resolve the strike by the Academic Staff of Universities (ASUU) which has kept students at home for eight months,  as well as release Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra and find a political solution to his trial to ensure total peace in the South East and Nigeria.