Fighting Crime Through Public-Private-Partnership

Item, a quiet town in Bende Local Government Area of Abia State was thrown into mourning five years ago following the murder of Mr Akachukwu Mba, a prominent son of Apuanu Item community, by suspected gunmen.
Mba, a Port Harcourt-based civil engineer, had come to his home town to celebrate Christmas and New Year when the incident occurred.
The Item Development Association (IDA), a socio-cultural organisation of Item people resident in Lagos State, saw the development as a threat to security of lives and property in the community and embarked on the construction of a Police Station.
Now, they have constructed the station and handed it over to the police, to immortalise Mba and to enhance security of lives and property in the area.
Launching the station, Governor Theodore Orji called for enhanced support for the police and other security agencies to enable them to tackle security challenges across the country.
“For Nigeria to come out of the present security challenges, everybody must partner with security agencies and see security as a collective responsibility”, Orji said.
The governor also commended the people for building the police station, adding that effective policing could be achieved through public-private-partnership.
Orji was represented at the occasion by Mr Vigilus Nwankwo, the state commissioner public Utilities and Water Resources said for security situation to get better, the people must play complimentary role.
The governor noted that security was given priority in Abia State because of the firm belief of his administration that adequate security was central to other development.
“Crime cannot be eradicated entirely because it is not achievable anywhere in the world.
We have drastically reduced crime in Abia State through adequate support and partnership with the security agencies,” he said.
Orji said that Abia State government was happy with the commitment to duty by the Commissioner of Police in the state and advised other police officers to emulate the exemplary conduct of their boss.
In an address on behalf the Lagos State chapter of the union, Mr Onwuka Orji observed that it was, perhaps, the murder of Mba that fuelled the quest to fortify security in Item homeland.
“To ensure the safety of lives and property of residents of Item who are already apprehensive, Item leaders in Lagos initiated the construction of a permanent police station in Item.
“Item police station is arguably one of the most significant development initiatives successfully executed by the Item union in its close to 70 years history,” he said.
“It was perhaps the dastardly and condemnable murder in cold blood of one of Item illustrious and patriotic son, Engr. Akachukwu Mba on the dusk of December 27, 2006 that fuelled the quest to construct this station by IDA Lagos branch,” he noted. Mr Sunday Onuoha, the President-General of the association, said the station marked a milestone in public-private partnership initiative to fight crime. Onuoha also commended members of Item Vigilant Group for complementing the services of the police, saying that it was only through such measure that Nigeria could tackle the challenges of insecurity.
The Commissioner of Police in Abia Steate, Ambrose Aisabor, described the event as historic and a turning point in the history of Item community.
He said though protection of lives and property was one of the statutory responsibilities of the police, the task could be achieved collectively.
“Gone are the days when security was the exclusive preserve of the security agencies, the market women, students, politicians, chiefs, civil servants among others are all stakeholders in security project.
“We must at all times be seen to be collaborating and cooperating with security agencies to enable them to perform their roles optimally,” he said.
He stressed the need for the public to assist the police in information gathering, noting that a police man was not a magician, hence the need to regularly furnish the organisation with credible information.
“Do not be afraid to give information to the police for fear of disclosure of your identity, I can assure you that your identity will never be revealed,” he promised.
He warned the people against giving loans to any police man or woman serving in the area. “It is against the rule of the Nigeria Police for anybody to lend money to a police man; even if he tells you that his mother is sick, do not lend him or her money because it is not your responsibility.
“What the rule provides is that you can donate money or other material gifts as a goodwill to support the police,” Aisabor said.
According to him, as the police force is undergoing transformation, officers and men in Abia State are expected to be committed to providing efficient and effective services.
Aisabor urged other communities in the state to emulate the example of Item people in he  maintenance of security and in fighting crime.
“You will agree with me that no genuine investor, local or international, would like to vest his hard-earned money in an environment where kidnapping and violent crimes hold sway,” he said.
On the occasion, the residents agreed that with the growing level of insecurity in Nigeria, there is the need for synergy between government and the governed to fight crime.
They commended the efforts of Item indigenes abroad at developing their community and urged other Nigerians to emulate such gesture for national development.
Observers also believe that security can be achieved when stakeholders including communities, government and security agencies work in unity to tackle security challenges.
Onyeukwu Writes for the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN.