By Gideon Njoku
“Only criminals want the Security Forces off the roads. I will strengthen the road blocks”
Anambra State Governor, Professor Charles Soludo, has, diplomatically, scolded his Deputy, Dr Onyekachukwu Ibezim, over Security Road blocks mounted on Anambra Roads by Security Agents.
Dr Ibezim had, on Saturday, 24th December, 2022, enjoyed some fame when he confronted Soldiers at Amansea area of the State, who mounted a road block which resulted In traffic gridlock.
The road in Amansea, a border town between Anambra and Enugu States, was particularly busy on that day as the next day was Christmas.
The insecurity in the South-east has resulted in the blocking of roads with sand bags and drums by Security Agents, especially Soldiers, to checkmate criminals.
However, allegations have been rife that the Soldiers over-step their bounds at such road blocks. They are, allegedly, in the habit of humiliating motorists and passengers, and have turned the road blocks to money collecting tolls and their ATM.
On the 24th, the road was, as is usually the case during Christmas and Year periods, chaotic. The queue stretched, and having in mind that unwholesome businesses, allegedly, are responsible for the chaos and the queue, the Deputy Governor stepped down from his car, abandoned his convoy, and confronted the Soldiers. He ordered them to dismantle the road block by removing the sand bags and drums, and make the road free for motorists.
Dr Ibezim to the Soldiers who he thoroughly scolded: “We must be sane in this Country. I don’t want you to be causing hardship for my people. I have worked in the Directorate of Defence, and this is not what the Army stands for.”
He proceeded to control the traffic for sometime before driving off with his convoy.
Ibezim’s action attracted both commendation and condemnation. While many applauded him for confronting the Soldiers publicly, others said he played to the gallery.
Not a few people are of the opinion that he threw the bath water away with the baby. They insist the Soldiers were on duty, and if he noticed unwholesome business going on, the right thing would have been to call the most senior officer out, and advised him. Or, put a call through to their Commander who should have spoken to them.
The Soldiers, they said, are important along the roads, and had, several times, confronted and arrested criminals at such road blocks. Many people, they said, feel safer traveling when they know there are security road blocks along the road.
“What the Deputy Governor did can only happen in Nigeria. The Soldiers were in their uniform. They were on duty. He is not their boss, and had no business interfering so undiplomatically in their duty. He played to the gallery just to have a few minutes of fame.”, noted a retired Military Officer.
However, addressing Journalists at his Country home, in Isuofia, Governor Soludo showered praises on Security Agents who stay along dangerous roads just to keep citizens safe. He thanked them for their commitment to restoring law and order in the State, and lamented that a number of them had lost their lives in the process of securing others.
The Governor recalled that when he took over office in 2021, Eight Local Government Areas in the State were under the mercy of criminals who had completely taken them over.
Things are different now, Soludo noted, as the LGA’s have been recovered from them.
On road blocks, the Governor said only criminals want Security Agents out of the roads. But not on his watch, he promised. Instead, Soludo “pledged to strengthen the road blocks” as well as take other measures to ensure safety.
