In the wake of recent escalation of insecurity across the country including Edo State, a civil society group, Edo Civil Society Organizations (EDOCSO), on Wednesday, called on the state governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo to wake up to his responsibility of making the state secured.
He also charged the government at the centre to tow the same path as every citizen has a right to life.
Comrade Omobude Agho, the Coordinator General of the group, made the call in a roadshow to mark the World Human Rights Day in Benin City, the Edo State capital.
He said Nigerians now live in palpable fear due to rising insecurity across the country. Narrowing it down to Edo State, Agho urged the state governor to equip the local security networks to help stem the tides of the influx of bandits and terrorists that are trying to infiltrate the south-south region of the country where Edo State is inclusive.
According to Agho: “We are using the World Human Rights Day as a speaking point that the level of insecurity in Nigeria is very very bad. We are very scared now more than ever.
“We have heard rumours of the bandits or the terrorists already taking over our bushes and we think that the governor should wake up to his responsibility to govern and place high incentive on the vigilante, the one they call the state security network so that they can be on salaries.
“They can also be well equipped with good arms and ammunition so that they can be able to comb our bushes and our environment to scare away, because we cannot say to apprehend, to scare and chase away all these bandits and terrorists that are already traveling from the north to the southern side of Nigeria. We think the governor should wake up to his responsibility.”
He stressed that the rally became absolutely necessary to enlighten and sensitize citizens of their rights so that they can seek redress when they are being violated.
In his own submission, Leftist God’s Power Okunbo, the Secretary General of the group, said though the level of awareness of citizens rights is on the increase in the state, a lot still needed to be done to ensure that citizens are abreast of their rights.
In conclusion, he said in ensuring that the citizens are acquainted with their rights, they have been able to create centres across the 18 local government areas of the state where they are being tutored on their rights, using the Nigeria’s constitution as a guide.
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