8th October, 2012
Paul Odili, Manager, Communication/Adviser to Governor Uduaghan, told JETHRO IBILEKE that kidnapping is not on the rise in Delta state. He affirmed that government is winning the battle against crime
What could be responsible for the rampant cases of kidnapping in the state?
Kidnapping is not rampant in Delta state. What has happened is that a couple of incidents happened and because of the personality of those involved, it appeared it is rampant, but it is not rampant. I also think that maybe at the same time, success of the anti-kidnapping squad has not been highlighted enough. So, it is not just about the incidents that occurred. The truth is that a lot of people have been arrested and prosecuted.
Don’t you think the proposed ban on the use of commercial motorcycle for transportation by the government could heighten the state of insecurity?
Let’s be honest with ourselves, in modern cities of the world, you don’t see people riding okada. In most cases, they carry more than one person, and that is even a safety issue. But much more of significance to us is the security implication of that. It’s been known and it has happened over and over again, and from evidence, from arrest and investigations conducted, many of these guys (kidnappers) use okada to operate.
That is why the first stage really was to limit the time in which they operate. But the government has also taken a further step to introduce tricycles which might be more comfortable, more secure, and at the same time easy to monitor. The maneuvrability of tricycles is harder, you can’t use it for anything other than the purpose for which it was intended, unlike motorcycles that could be easily manipulated after committing a crime.
The government has even taken further steps to acquire over a thousand of the tricycles which were commissioned a few days ago, and the governor generously and magnanimously gave them to okada riders at a discounted rate of N150,000 as against the price of between N300,000 and N400,000 in the open market. That is to tell you how much the governor wants them to succeed. He wants these to be available to everyone and he is ready to do more of that so that gradually, we could phase out the use of okada. He is so passionate about the comfort of the people.
What other measures have been put in place by the government to cushion the effect of this?
It fits into the argument by the governor that we really need state police to help in the management of crime in the state. In that case, the state can actually use its own resources to organise a crime-fighting outfit. Our government would have preferred to have its own police to police the state. But you know how things work in the country.
Will you say the government is winning the battle against insecurity in the state?
I believe we are winning. The governor has always reminded people that one of the three cardinal assignments he undertook as governor of the state in 2007 during his first term in office was to enter the creeks and negotiate and secure the release of some expatriates that were kidnapped. That was in the days of Niger Delta militancy when kidnapping was also used to agitate for certain things.
And in the three-point agenda, peace and security is number one. Human resources and infrastructural development are there. But why is he is harping on peace and security is that he believes we need to have peace in the state and we must also secure the state. And he has invested a lot of energy, resources and time into securing and providing peace in the state.
But what makes security quite an interesting issue is that when you are comfortable in your room, you think all is well. But if there is a slight change in the situation, you will completely discount the period in which you enjoyed peace.
You forget all about the peace you had enjoyed before. Security is such a delicate issue that you are pre-occupied more with the temporary situation on hand.
But honestly, I don’t know whether there is anywhere where there is perfect security. Gone are the days when, according to history, you had less crime in some parts of the Scandinavian countries. We’ve had issues of terrorism there lately. The key thing is, are we focusing on how the security challenges would be addressed, such that people will feel more secure and can go about their businesses normally? We’ve invested a lot of money. Every year, we have continued to put so much resources into security, in the provision of vehicles, logistics and all that is needed to secure the state.
So, it’s not really about not doing enough, it’s perhaps about the system. But we really need to look at the aspect of state police.
Our people should continue to give us all the support we need to ensure their security. Security is not an issue for government alone, security requires collective participation. Yes, there are those whose responsibility it is to conduct security operations and manage security issues. But at the same time, we have an obligation as citizens to give information, provide anonymous information, you don’t have to give your name. We have mentioned this time and time again. In your neighborhood, all kinds of place, if you suspect anything, give out information. If there is security in a place, it affects everyone. Insecurity is a social thing, it affects everyone. It affects the society itself. In that case, it’s not just about the police or the government. Everybody has to be conscious of it and participate in different ways. It is a collective thing because we are all connected. Anything that affects one affects all.