By Rose Oranye
Anambra State Commissioner for Information, Dr. Law Mefor, on Saturday, February 1, 2025, passionately appealed to the Presidents-General of town unions in the state to support the new security initiative of the Soludo-led administration, Operation Udo Ga-Achị, to restore total security and rid the state of criminals.
Addressing the PGs during his courtesy visit to the Anambra State Association of Town Unions (ASATU), at the ASATU Hall, Government House, Awka, Mefor assured that the state government is leaving no stone unturned to recover Ihiala and other parts of the state threatened by criminals.
He says, "Anambra is a great state, but criminals are bent on turning things upside down. That's why we have in place the Anambra State Homeland Security Law, which established a new security outfit called Agunechemba, which replaced the Anambra Vigilante Group (AVG), and launched Operation Udo Ga-Achị. Some people are asking why we had to do it in January. The launch was what you saw on January 18. The new security architecture took quite some time to plan. Acquiring the tech, constructing the Command and Control and Call Centres, putting in place one of the best tracking systems, the special purpose vehicles, and putting the Operation Udo Ga-Achi Strike Force together, among others took time; perhaps months. The important thing therefore is that no time is late and the security intervention is now in place and already recording spectacular results.
"This security initiative will not work without the PGs. All communities must work together with the state, as the new law stipulates. You have to be in charge of the operations of the new security operations in your communities. That's what the new law says. This is not politics or about political parties. There is no political party in security matters. We need to secure our land first. Without peace and security, where will we play politics?
"Some local governments, like Ihiala, were overtaken in the past before Soludo assumed office as governor. Today, we have recovered these local governments with some challenges still existing in Ihiala and parts of Orumba. We can't leave our state to return to such a state. We will recover Ihiala and the parts of Orumba, no matter what it takes. As we speak, a total showdown is on in these places. If you see something, say something and even earn something by calling 5111.
"We are currently paying people to get information. It is a whistleblowing policy of the Soludo government. People are responding as confidentiality is assured. There is therefore nothing to fear from calling 5111 and giving us information," Mefor said.
The commissioner further explained that the law is not only tackling crime and criminality but is also addressing the enablers of crime, like self-acclaimed ndi dibia (fake native doctors), those into Oke-Ite i.e money rituals that are alien to Igbo culture.
"What Gov Soludo and the new law are doing is to sanitize and protect our traditional medicine. Nobody is saying we are not going to have ndidibia. What we want is to protect our tradition, i.e omenana and genuine ndidibia and do away with bad ones that harm and deceive people. Such evil native doctors were chased away by our fathers, but they are back now. All those thinking they can get rich without hard work, we won't allow them anymore," he said.
In their separate remarks, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Community Security, Ken Emeakayi, and Special Assistant to the Governor on Cyber Security, Chigbo JohnChris, urged the PGs to sit up and endeavour to give articulate security reports of what happens in their respective communities, as they would be held responsible for security breaches in their communities, in accordance with the new law.
The ASATU National President, Barr. T.A. Akpudo thanked Mr. Governor for giving the PGs the responsibility and assured the visitors that they would do their best to help the state fight insecurity.