ANAMBRA VIGILANCE GROUPS ASK OBI TO RE-DEFINE OPERATIONS

By NBF News

At a time when there is a discordant tunes about the operations of vigilance groups in Anambra State, following the activities of a man claiming to be government's coordinator, vigilantes in the state have asked Governor Peter Obi to re-defining their operations.

Speaking through Anambra State Police Vigilantes, in a letter signed by its Vice Chairman, Mr. Emeka P. Anyaegbu, Secretary, Chief Edokwe S.K, and Chief Nweke Sylvanus, executive member, the vigilantes said a redefinition of the operations of vigilantes, as they relate to the activities of the government coordinator, would avert crisis in the state.

While commending the governor for canceling the double registration of vigilance units as well as the obnoxious fee of N15, 000, it however, requested to know if the governor actually appointed a coordinator for vigilante operations. They said the clarification of the governor's position would streamline the activities of vigilance groups.

Saying that failure to define the functions of the coordinator may lead to possible exhibition of excesses, the group recalled that the police command had appointed a consultant, who facilitated the registration, training and development of database of all the vigilante operatives in the state. It said going by the consultant's efforts, there is now a comprehensive database of all the vigilante units' operatives.

It noted further: 'The police consultant fashioned the operations of the vigilante operatives in Anambra State. The monitoring of their activities is done by the police at the divisional police level. This arrangement, to all intents and purposes, forestalls the emergence of a militia group as was the case in the dark days of 'Bakassi.''

The group further told Governor Obi: 'You will now be in a better position to appreciate why we are afraid that if the control and monitoring of vigilantes are transferred into the bands of individuals who may be power hungry, the tendency of excesses and abuse of office might rear its ugly heads once more and destroy the good works of the vigilante operations in the state.'

While agreeing that the vigilantes, like every other organizations, may have had some flaws in their operations, the group advised that the government ties incentives to service if it deems it fit to provide such. It added that any vigilante unit or units found to be complacent in the discharge of its duties should be denied such incentives, as, according to it, such action would address their non-performance and ginger them for better service delivery.