City Crime
We Are Not War-Like, Community Leader Asserts
To press down its peaceful nature, the Chairman, Oha Elimgbu Council, Chief Ben Enyidah Utchay has said that his community has never gone into war with its neighbours right from time immemorial.
Utchay made the assertion when he spoke with newsmen at Elimgbu in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area recently.
He recalled that even when some hoodlums and land grabbers attacked them sometime in the past, they remained resolute and never fought back.
The community leader, pointed out that they depend on divine intervention to maintain peace in the community and added that such was responsible for the peace they enjoy in their environment.
Another penecea to peace he said, was making judicious use of the security agents like the Police in the event of any security challenge.
“We don’t have guns or arms. We depend on God and security operatives for protection, that’s the only thing we do”, he said.
According to him, his people do not interfere with police investigation in case of any suspected criminal movement, thus the enhanced security situation of his community.
Concerning the youth, he revealed how they undergo routine lecture on peace, and hinted that it has over the years, yielded the needed result.
In his era as a Community Development Chairman (DCC), he pointed out that he waged war against cultism and maintained the education of the youth against crisis.
He also pointed out that crisis was bane of investment as no investor would invest in a crisis ridden environment.
To succeed in fight against crisis in communities, he said that governments must make efforts to recognize the CDC as the fourth tier of government to enable them nip crisis in the bud.
According to him, various communities’ leaders know those causing trouble in their localities and would fish out same, if empowered financially by the government.
He argued that it would be mission impossible to fight crisis without funds, thus the need to finance local authorities to aid them form and operate formidable vigilante groups.
However, he has called on his people to remain peaceful and supportive of the Wike-led administration to benefit maximally from the system.
By: King Onunwor