By Ikechukwu Nwobodo 

For the past three years now, I have not returned to my community, Amodu Okowo Awkunanaw in Nkanu West LGA, especially during festive periods such as Easter, Christmas and New Year. 

My decision to stay away with my immediate family was borne out of the continuous nefarious activities of unknown gunmen and other criminals, coupled with lack of basic infrastructural development in the communities across the council area.

In short, before my decision to stop coming home, my wife and I had a terrible experience. It was an encounter with daredevil armed robbers on Amodu-Amaechi Awkunanaw link road during 2020 Christmas celebration on our way to Enugu metropolis around 2pm.   

The recidivists dispossessed us of all our belongings including phones, monies and other valuables and threatened to kill us if we tried to resist. It took us years to recover from the trauma of that ugly experience which was the first of its kind to us as a couple.

Afterwards, I kept reading in the media especially social media the continuous activities of these criminals and unknown gunmen in Nkanu West LGA axis. 

Surprisingly, since last year and early this year, I have not heard or read about the nefarious activities of the criminals across the council area, especially the non-state actors that were always enforcing illegal sit-at-home on Mondays. 

Upon inquiries, I was reliably informed that the present Chairman of my council area, Nkanu West, Hon. Uchenna Ejim has done much and still doing well in the areas of security, infrastructural project, human empowerment and others at the grassroots level to alleviate the suffering of the people in synergy with the Enugu State Government, Governor Peter Ndubuisi Mbah and the people of the council area.

These encouraged and emboldened me to return  home with my family again this year for Christmas/ New Year celebrations. Since our return, I have taken time to move across the nooks and crannies of Nkanu West LGA, interact with people and see things on ground. What I have seen and experienced had doused my fears and apprehension about people’s comfort and safety in our council area. 

One of my greatest findings about the Council Chairman’s giant strides is the total reorganization and re-positioning of security architecture of the council area.

A visit at the Agbani Divisional Police Station,  where Hon. Uche Ejim’s administration constructed and equipped a two-storey concrete-built Surveillance Centre and Security Tower for aerial surveillance operations at the entrance of the station with 24 hours solar powered energy says a lot about the premium his government placed on the lives and properties of Nkanu West indigenes, residents and visitors as well.

Inside the Surveillance Centre, which is being manned by security expert in the person, Mr. Okenwa Cyprian Chukwuebuka, are two constumized drones with newly acquired transmitter that can fly 7km above sea level and 10 km circumference,  large monitor and other sophisticated security gadgets that are used for 24 hours surveillance activities across the 44 communities in the council area, where CCTV  cameras alongside solar lights have been installed in majority of them and still ongoing in the rest.

According to Okenwa, “from here we constantly monitor activities using the installed and solar powered CCTV cameras across the communities, which we have landmarked with codes and locations for the easy deployment of the drones for constant security surveillance across the council area.”

Also at Agbani Divisional Police, the Council Chairman has completed the construction of the Station’s collapsed perimeter fence which has secured the place. Also constructed to provide convenience for the Police personnel there is modern toilet system that was non- existent before. 

The Police building is wearing a new look. Sincerely, Hon. Ejim’s security innovation in Nkanu West LGA is the first of its kind in Enugu state if not across local government areas in Nigeria.         

Along the Amodu-Amaechi Awkunanaw road that links Enugu metropolis, where I and my wife had terrible experience in the hands of criminals in the 2020, which later became a hotbed for killings and attacks by unknown gunmen, is a well-built, properly equipped and continously maintained Military security house and a security tower constructed by the Chairman of Nkanu West LGA, Hon. Uche Ejim. The building houses the joint security personnel that are always on duty there for 24 hours. 

It was discovered that there are 20 equipped and motivated Nieghbourhood/ Forest Guard personnel each across the 14 wards in the council area that are always on duty. Apart from these,  each five of them from the 14 wards do a 24- hour patrol shift in collaboration with other security personnel across the length and breadth of the council area  armed with sophisticated arms and communication gadgets. 

Anyone from Nkanu West LGA, who knows Obinagu Uwani, Akpugo and its environs knows the dilapidated state of roads there that was not helped by topography of the community that made their roads erosion-prone, too sandy and swampy. During both rainy and dry seasons, roads there are impassable. 

But succour and relief had come the way of the people of the community and their environs as the Council Chairman is speedily constructing the 3.7km asphalt road in the community.

Vanguard News