By; VITALIS UGOH, Calabar
Cross River State Government has been fingered over the lingering insecurity in the state and unless it takes appropriate measures to address the situation, it might be worse.
For several months, there have been kidnapping and killings across the state where over 80 souls have allegedly lost their lives.
These were the views and opinion of stakeholders at the just concluded security summit held in the state capital, Calabar.
Paramount rulers, political stalwarts and others who attended the recent security summit organized by the State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Austin Agbonlahor could not hide their feelings at the meetings.
The state-wide security forum that is took place at the Senior Police Officers’ Mess, Moore Road, Calabar and was jointly anchored by the Police CP and Paramount Ruler of Obudu local government area, His Royal Highness. Uti J.D Agba.
The forum, it would be recalled was convened to proffer solutions on how to curb the rising wave of insecurity across the state unanimously blamed CRSG for not doing enough to stem the menace.
In his opening remarks, Mr. Austin Agbonlahor, the Commissioner of Police, harped on the importance of respecting the sanctity of life against the backdrop of incessant killings and kidnapping during communal clashes.
He cautioned against taking of a human’s life at the slightest provocation, wondering why premium should be paid over land rather than life.
Several Speakers took their turns to register their sentiments on the matter and all did so in heaping the blame of all communal fracas in the state on the door-step of the government.
The forum also accused the state government of paying lip services to issues of security in the state.
Reacting to the sentiments of the raised by the stakeholders, the Police Commissioner held that the meeting was not for trading blames, however the participants insisted that government should be up in arms by providing the necessary logistics like funding of security agencies and patrol vans, amidst other requirements for better securing in the state.
