By Kenneth Onuoha
365Daily – The pioneer Military Administrator of Delta State, Air Commodore Luke Ochulor (rtd), has called for an aggressive youths re-orientation to stem the tide of sudden wave of insecurity in South-East.
Ochulor made the call on Sunday, May 30, 2021, while speaking to newsmen in Enugu on the solution to growing insecurity and attack on security and other Federal Government facilities in the zone.
According to him, there is a need for aggressive re-orientation programmes to positively change the mindset of the young men in the zone.
He said: “They (youths) cannot solve their problems by shooting into the air and attacking the security formations and operatives.
“Military operation does not solve the problem also. This type of operation requires a subtle mind and orientation change approach and thorough investigation.’’
The former military administrator, who agreed that the zone was previously adjudged “safe and peaceful,’’ expressed concern that recent events in the zone had portrayed it in bad light.
He said that he had expected the Governors in the zone to have organise the security of their states so that residents would have full confidence in the government.
Ochulor, however, cautioned against full-blown military operations in the zone as most innocent residents who know nothing about the issue at stake may be exposed to danger or even get killed.
He noted that while he pitied the innocent youths in the affected areas, he has “no pity for those that are attacking security formations and razing INEC offices in the South-East.”
Furthermore, he said “security operatives should devise a means of tracking the criminals and arresting them rather than shooting-on-sight any young man because there is no way every young Igbo man can be classified as a criminal.
“Actually, the criminals among them are on drugs. They do not have parental attachment.
“They should know that they are toeing a war path would never solve their problems. But they don’t understand,’’ he said.
On a proposed bill by the National Assembly specifying 15-year jail term for anyone who pays ransom to kidnappers, Ochulor said: “Before a government promulgates a law, it must first of all think of its implementation.’’
He called on the National Assembly to promulgate a law that makes it mandatory that if somebody is found guilty of kidnapping, such a person should either face life jail or death penalty.
“They should first make a law to deter the law breaker or potential kidnapper from the act. They should focus more on preventive measures,’’ the former Military Administrator said.
While commenting on the ban on open grazing in Southern Nigeria, Ochulor said the southern Governors’ pronouncement would just end up as mere verbal pronouncement without implementable and effective laws across their states.
“The implication is that the people may see them as jokers and nobody would take them seriously any longer,’’ he added.