The Chairman, of Anambra State Traditional Rulers Council and the Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Alfred Achebe, has identified youth unemployment, armed robbery, cultism, drug addiction, and child prostitution among others as the social vices bedeviling the Onitsha community and environs in Anambra State.

He, however, commended the Anambra State Vigilante Group (AVG), for the protection of lives and property in his kingdom, insisting that his subjects wholly relied on their services for prevention.

Achebe, who spoke in Onitsha,  during the 2023 Ofala Festival tagged, “Better, Stronger, Together,” sponsored by one of telecommunications giants, Globacom, lamented that touting, homelessness, gangsterism, homelessness, and rape also had remained major challenges of the town.

He regretted what he described as the reactive approach of  security agencies with stations in Onitsha, including the police, army, navy, and the Department of State Services (DSS) towards crime in the commercial city, adding: “Our biggest challenge is the inadequacy of funding for salaries, equipment, and consumables, which is borne by the community”, except for the paltry state government contribution of N10,000 each for 10 persons per month.”

Achebe,   commended individuals  and organisations who have played various roles in sustaining the yearly festival, saying: “With the strides that it has made, the Ofala continues to receive both national and international recognition.”

He said the Ofala Festival had grown  steadily in terms of  its scope, social glamour, and intrinsic meaning for Ndi Onicha.

In his speech, the  state governor, Prof. Charles Soludo, congratulated  Igwe Achebe on the celebration, describing his numerous achievements in the past 21 years as unprecedented, especially in youth  empowerment.

On insecurity, he reassured of his commitment to fighting crime and criminality in the commercial city, stressing that his administration has commenced massive road construction in Onitsha and tackling the menace of agbero.