*Vows to use legislative power to address insecurity in Anambra South
By Toby Chuks
Ahead of the Senatorial bye election in Anambra South Senatorial District scheduled to hold on August 16, 2025, the candidate of the All Progressive Congress (APC) for the election Mr Azuka Okwuosa has bemoaned what he described as lack of legislative response to the teething challenges of insecurity and lack of power supply in Nigeria narrowing down to the State and Senatorial Districts particularly in Anambra South Senatorial District.
Speaking on his preparedness to give Anambra South a quality representation in the Senate if elected, Okwuosa observed that legislators both at the State and Federal levels have failed to use legislative power to enact and promulgate laws that are good enough to effectively deal with insecurity and lack of power supply vowing that he will use legislative power to address the problem of insecurity and lack of power for the interest of Anambra South if elected
According to him, “the major problem we have in Anambra State remains insecurity and lack of adequate power supply. There is capital flight in Anambra State because of insecurity. Industries are collapsing because of insecurity. People are relocating their business to Asaba in Delta State and neighboring States in the Southeast. As I speak almost half of Ihiala Local Government, half of Nnewi South, Orumba North and Otumba South have been taking over by criminals. My friend Igwe Emma Nnabuife who is the traditional ruler of Iseke in Ihiala has permanently relocated to Abuja and Lagos because of insecurity and so many people have left Anambra and cannot back because their houses have been destroyed”
He continued “People are being killed in various part of Anambra South. The other day people were massacred at Ogboji, the other day people were killed at Ekwulobia, who knows where it will happen next and we have a responsive and responsible government with someone out there in the government house claiming that he is constructing roads, that he built government house and amusement park. I am not opposed to road construction but if you build super highways and not secured to move around how do make of the roads. Yes, we need good road network but people have to be secured to be able to make use of the roads”
Highlighting on his legislative agenda on security, the APC Senatorial hopeful stated that there are different ways with which he will approach the issue of security using legislative powers among which include immediate effort to intercept and arrest suspected criminals when crime is committed, work plans toward short and long term programs. He noted that there are different causes of insecurity which include: ideology, inherent in blood, people facing lack of food and money
Highlighting on the above listed causes of insecurity he said “we have problem of ideology whereby people decide to fight and die for what they believe. In this case you engage such people in dialogue and get them to know the right path to follow. Second is inherent blood. I wouldn’t say hereditary but there are people that have criminal tendencies rooted in their blood. In such case you tackle them head on by making sure that suspected criminals are arrested to face the law whenever they commit crime. Third there is insecurity caused by lack of food and lack of money. This can be handled with creation of jobs and investing in agriculture.
“As a Senator, I will enact a legislative agenda to seek laws for security operatives to be well equipped, well trained and retrained from time to time and also be well remunerated with good insurance scheme that give them adequate cover to guarantee their gratuity and pension so that they can work hard in crime fighting. I will use legislative means to make sure that there is functional CCTV camera and forensic lab equipment so that security operatives can do proper investigation and track criminals in hideouts and most importantly create jobs”
Going further, he also hinted that he will seek legislative means to improve on power supply because according to him power supply is crucial to industrial business that can enhance job creation. He emphasized much on agriculture noting that time has for the people of the Southeast to retrace the era of MI Okpara who as governor of old Eastern region established farm settlements in five different locations.
