As AKULGA Sues For Peace …

Below is the conclusion of an excerpt from the keynote address presented by Pst. Christopher Briggs, mni, JP (Permanent Secretary Emeritus) at the Akuku-Toru Peace and Security Conference held at the Multi-Purpose Hall, Abonnema on Saturday, August 3, 2019. The first part was published on Friday.

In this presentation,
INSECURITY shall be considered to be any breach of the peace that contributes to incessant or recurring conflicts which, more often than not, results in violence, wanton destruction of lives and properties and other forms of criminality.
In setting the tone for meaningful discussions in this conference, please permit me to draw needful attention to some 18 salient points of concern:
*No AKULGA son was among the contestants during the Presidential election. The two main contending candidates were from Northern Nigeria and were of Fulani extraction; bound by tribe, religion and language. No violence of any form was reported in their home towns or home states.
We in AKUKU-TORU (and Abonnema in particular) were not at war with any declared aggressors or sworn enemies.
*Few days to the Presidential elections, Abonnema was reported to have been virtually invaded and occupied by strangers, mostly youths who were neither indigenes nor known residents of the community.
*These strangers were transported into Abonnema mainly by road, meaning they had to pass through the only inlet/ outlet to the community, which is the Abonnema bridge, with a mounted 24-hour military check point. Also within walking distance was the Abonnema Divisional Police headquarters with the closest proximity to the only entry point into the town.
*The vehicles that conveyed these “troops” could not have been too few not to be noticed. They passed through several check points from the East-West Expressway, through the Emuoha/Ogbakiri Junctions and the several 24 hours military and Police check points to Tema Junction and the Harry’s Town military base. No one suspected, queried, intercepted or prevented these questionable movements?
*On arrival in Abonnema, these strangers emptied into compounds and houses, after hibernating in several drinking and smoking joints as they call them. Most of these joints were along the only major road in the town, meaning they were not in hiding.
*They conversed in languages that easily gave them out as non-indigenes. They gave Out enough clues and information to suggest their business interests and who they may be representing.
*Among these strangers were known and easily identifiable sons and daughters of the land who piloted them through the nooks and crannies of the community.
*Their dresses, physical looks, tattoos, hair-dos, slangs, gave them out.
There were or should have been sufficient uniformed and plain cloth security agents, informants and INEC officials or observers in Abonnema, as a LG headquarter to sense the looming dangers.
*Our traditional rulers, Chiefs, elders, men and women, Pastors and opinion leaders saw or heard about these strange and disturbing developments. Compound Chiefs could easily have gotten information on these strangers in their domains and the houses that harboured them.
*The hosts and sponsors of these strangers (from all sides of the divide) and their hatchet men and women were well known in the community.
*Could anything have changed if the right things were done early enough that may have prevented the violence or was there a conspiracy of silence by all for unknown reasons.
*Heavy military hardware and sophisticated weapons were deployed extensively by all parties: dynamites, SMGs, Pump action guns etc.
How did these weapons get into the town and into the hands of those that used them when needed?
*Every indigenous youth involved in this sad incident came from known homes and have parents or relations. Some may have been direct children or wards of prominent personalities in the community.
Who are they and what has been done with what we already know?
*In all of these, were there no arrests that were made to unravel the many questions begging for answers?
*What has been done in concrete terms to support the directly impacted bereaved families?
*Noting the fact that the success of every security operation begins and ends with efficient and effective intelligence gathering and their timely processing and usage, could it be a justifiable conclusion to state that some if not all of us seated here today, may have in one way or another, by our actions and inactions, facilitated the sad occurrences that befell AKULGA and Abonnema in particular?
The Effect And Consequences Of Violent Conflicts And Insecurity
The excessive presence of security personnel in any environment is indicative of perceived threat or potential for the breach of peace. No meaningful investor will be attracted to such environment. The effects of insecurity, therefore, can be very damaging.
Below are some of the known effects and consequences of insecurity:
Needless rancour, tensions and disagreements on nearly every issue.
General atmosphere of mistrust, divisions.
Social dislocations and displacement of people.
Fear of sabotage by perceived enemies with associated anxiety and frenzy.
Heightened hostilities between rivals whenever there arises a need for consensus.
People live in fear and apprehension etc.
Perpetual occupation of our homeland by security agents with the concomitant consequences and collateral damages.
The danger of having our homeland infested by miscreants who have no stake in our development.
The Way Forward:
The establishment of a robust Truth and Reconciliation Committee comprising men and women of distinction, people of proven character and general acceptance to mediate and genuinely reconcile all injured, aggrieved, disenchanted warring parties with their sponsors and patrons.
Establishment of a rehabilitation and value re-orientation center for all identified vulnerable youths.
The establishment of a second-chance school programme with a purpose designed vocation-oriented curriculum for all drop-outs and all who can still pursue formal education.
Commissioning of purpose-designed Skills Acqusition training for all youths based on individual needs assessment.
Declaration of amnesty and re-integration for all repentant cultists and the mopping up of all weapons from all combatants.
Regular Town Hall meetings to be held in all communities to discuss the issue of security.
Traditional Rulers and Chiefs to introduce the KYN (Know Your Neighbour) data gathering strategy to ascertain all who have genuine businesses in their respective locations of residence.
Consequently all Family/ compound Youth Leaders should be constituted to monitor and regularly report any influx of strangers into the town. All such persons should be placed on some local surveillance to ensure their sincerity of making AKULGA a place of residence.
A Peace And Security Charter should be developed and endorsed by all political parties and their leadership. This document shall state the terms and conditions under which all politicians and their party members shall operate in the respective communities.
Concerted effort should be made to reconcile traditional rulers whose cordial relationships are in question and has posed a threat among their respective communities
The Chairman, AKULGA Traditional Council of Rulers and Chiefs should constitute THINK-TANKs at community and LGA levels to advise on the daily management of the peace and security of the LGA.
Setting up of an educational fund to assist and sponsor youths who are outstanding in their studies and careers.
Concerted efforts should be made to sustain this dialogue while we seek genuine and workable ways to engage our youths constructively as partners and stakeholders in the sustainable growth and development of AKULGA.
The most unprofessional inter-mingling of security agencies with the local politics and their direct PARTISAN interventions in elections must be checked. In the same manner, our reverred chieftaincy institutions should keep their dignified statesmanly distance from partisanship and be seen and adjudged as neutral, ensuing peace, equity, fairness and justice for all at all times.
Conclusion:
Nigeria in recent times has witnessed an unprecedented upsurge of insecurity; therefore national security has become a major issue for the government and people. As Nigerians, insecurity is not peculiar to AKULGA. With what we are witnessing today, Akuku-Toru is on the right track.
Let me remind all of us that this conference seeks to develop a strategic response to our security challenges in AKULGA. What will make the difference is the honesty and sincerity of purpose that shall drive this task. The different approaches we shall adopt within the limits of our resources and our capacity to engage all stakeholders including sons and daughter in the Diaspora as well as development partners at various levels shall determine the success we shall collectively achieve.
The state and local governments have major roles to play. Business organizations, the civil society, religious and faith-bases organizations, individuals, social clubs, community members and residents of AKULGA, including our gallant security agencies whose unrelenting efforts and sacrifices we must commend, shall be required.
Let me thank Your Excellencies, Your Royal Majesties, Chiefs, political leaders and the AKULGA community for the support expressed by your presence to participate in this initial effort to bring lasting peace and security to our homeland.
In closing, let me read from the book of 2 Corinthians 4:8-
“We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed”.
May the good Lord bless you all and thank you.