Ighodalo’s Manifesto on Security Ignite Hope
By Chris Ojeikere
Security has become not just one of the major issues in Nigeria, but it is now actually the prime issue. Many of us are yet to come to terms with the Nigeria we knew, and had our spaces to enjoy our simple lives in, and what this long interminable nightmare we still call Nigeria has become. Insecurity has plunged the entire country into a cliff edge foreboding of fear, uncertainty and despair. We are indeed in a dangerous “Season of Anomie” ! And the optics from the National front doesn’t look good!
So Asue Ighodalo has cause to feel concerned, very concerned about how this national miasma is affecting development in Edo State. He talks about it often. He is conscious of how insecurity can easily be a true impediment to all the lofty plans he has dreamed up in his comprehensive Manifesto of Prosperity for Edo people.
But he is not stopping just at ‘concern’. He has come up with a telling agenda. His espoused Carrot and Stick plans to tackle insecurity in the State is admirable. He was celestially on point when he located our broken down values cum a negated value system as a key area of focus. Indeed, some would say this is half the solution.
The corrosive abandonment of time tested morality and simple decencies like: being punctual to appointments, honest and courteous to people, and others, have cost our society far beyond what can be quantified. To make bad matters worse, victims of this damaged morality and values quickly became fathers and mothers themselves; mainly producing their chips out of wedlock, even when many of them parents still remained perpetual children: mentally retarded and permanently immature!
You can then imagine the generational tragedy; more so, as the most influential teachers they both have growing up is African Magic and all the deleterious side effects that come with the uncensored volumes of that creation.
So called parents and children are all caught up in between poor education and uncritical thinking processes. The result is the desire to live out a deluded life of false opulence ; blissfully acquiring flashing cars and living in beautiful houses at any and all costs. We all know that Crime is the only system that offers such Eldorado without labour and productivity.
This is why Asue Ighodalo’s return to moral education, values reorientation and engaging the causes and effects of our societal loss of values is another Asue Vintage! All agents of transformation must now rally around the Governor by God’s grace, come November 12. The Churches must lead the way, the schools, community leaders and society influencers must find a place in their own moral compass to say Bad is enough!
Returning Civic education to our schools as he has said is simply an impeccable idea! He wants to begin the ‘Generation Right’ of Edo State, and Nigeria, by extension!. Civility and morality must become a prized Culture of society. And schools play critical roles in achieving that!
Similarly, his proposal to make Security a communal thing involving community leaders, local policing, existing militias as well as legal processes’ acceleration is excitingly comprehensive enough to deliver on his Security agenda. When you add the innovative introduction of a highly resourced emergency patrol teams on our city entrances and on arterial roads, you begin to see the full spectrum of a security system that will walk the talk!
Lastly, we are becoming hopeful again, that Edo food economy will return to boom once more, because Asue Ighodalo promises a Farmland and Forest patrol team of Security personnel that will leave no hostiles in doubt that they mean business with the business of securing our forest. And we know sey Asue, im go do am!
