The Need To Support The Imo Civil Guard Corps (Aired Newstalk)

A CALL TO SUPPORT THE ‘IMO CIVIL GUARD CORPS’ ABLY LED BY CHIEF HONOURABLE DONATUS EWE EJIFUGHA

      

Just as he desires to see that everything is complete and as well put in place in Imo State at large in line with the famous Rescue Mission Agenda, the governor thought it wise to institute a uniform arm of the Imo Orientation Agency to ease the fight against various traffic cum environmental vices.

Owing to this fact, on July 26 - 2013, His Excellency Chief Owelle Rochas Okorocha – OON inaugurated the anticipated state paramilitary corps which was named Imo State Civil Guard Corps. An initiative that attracted numerous commendations from all walks of life in the state and in the diaspora.

Subsequently, on Thursday 8^th May 2014, the bill regarding the legal recognition of the aforementioned corps, which was sponsored by Hon. Victor Ndunagu, was duly passed into law by the impeccable members of the Imo State House of Assembly ably led by Rt. Hon. Benjamin Uwajumogu after one week of the official launch of the corps. Such historic gesture was made possible by the law makers in order to encourage the founder of the corps, Chief Rochas okorocha for the remarkable step he took to ensure that such formidable paramilitary organization is formed in the state, and when it is mostly needed.

In the said law, it was categorically stated that the head of the corps – Imo Civil Guard shall be recognized and addressed as The Commandant General, and he/she shall stay in the office for five consecutive years having been appointed by any serving Governor of Imo State.

The fundamental objects of the Imo Civil guard Corps include Crowd and Traffic Controls, and Guard Services. Suffice to say that, activities such as street trading, hawking, illegal parks location, just to mention but few, are expected to be adequately handled by the corps.

Lest I forget, it is worthy to note that the Imo State Civil Guard Corps is working in synergy with other existing military and paramilitary corps in the state, including the Army, Police Force, Civil Defence Corps, NDLEA, Prisons, Immigration, Customs, and the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), in maintenance of law and order in Imo State.

The most enticing aspect of the Imo Civil Guard Corps is that, the amiable and indefatigable governor – His Excellency Owelle Rochas Anayo Okorocha appointed a well experienced personnel of no questionable character and a distinguished worthy son of Oru East extraction, Awo-Omamma precisely, in the person of Chief Honourable Donatus Ewe Ejifugha (Odenjiji) to pilot the affairs of the corps as the Commandant General.

Having retired from the Police Force as a senior police officer, Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP) to be precise, Hon. Donatus Ejifugha was employed by Chief Rochas OKorocha as his personal Chief Security Officer (CSO) prior to his assumption of office as the Imo State Governor. As soon as he became the Governor of the state, he appointed Hon. Ejifugha as his Senior Special Assistant (SSA) on Security and Advanced Protocols. In the year 2013, he was directed by the Governor to serve as the Sole Administrator of Oru East Local Government Area before he rose to his present position as the Commandant General of the Imo State Civil Guard Corps having been found worthy by his boss to serve in such challenging position.

Among other Senior Officers, the Imo Civil Guard Corps constitutes the Deputy Commandant General, the Commandant, Deputy Commandant, Zonal Commanders, and others too numerous to mention. The offices of the Deputy Commandant General and the Commandant of the corps are currently occupied by Chief Jude Uregbe and Mr. Martins Eke respectively. 

The current recruitment strength of the corps is about 1200. According to the ethics of the corps, after conducting a certain recruitment having undergone an intensive training coupled with thorough orientation, each of the successful new recruits would be assigned to the various established units of the corps that are found in all the twenty-seven (27) Local Government Areas in Imo State, which include the Administrative, Operations, Transport and Provost departments, and as well the Traffic sections; some of them would also be assigned to most of the government offices or parastatals for guard services.

It is no longer news that the officers of the Imo Civil Guard Organization are in all corners of the state and also working round the clock to ensure that their duties are effectively carried out in respect to the directive of the tireless Commandant General, Chief Hon. Donatus Ejifugha. Presently their landmark achievements including the alleviation of illegal parking of vehicles, street trading as well as hawking activities in Owerri metropolis, speak for themselves

Currently, the corps is faced with numerous challenges to include lack of operational vehicles such as Power Bikes, Towing vans, Buses, Hilux vans, and what have you. On this note, I call on all the government functionaries and stakeholders to magnanimously contribute their respective quotas to ensure that the remarkable aim of Governor Owelle Rochas Okorocha towards creating a thorough serene environment in the Eastern Heartland is duly actualized. 

 

                COMR. FRED NWAOZOR

   Public Affairs analyst & Civil Rights activist 

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2014 International Day of Peace (Aired News Commentary)

A GLOBAL CALL FOR CONDEMNATION OF HOSTILITY AND CONFLICT AS THE WORLD MARKS THE 2014 INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PEACE, TOMORROW SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 21

 

Hostility is an unfriendly or aggressive behaviour/feelings towards people from other backgrounds. It can also be described as a strong opposition against an idea, a plan or a situation. In the same vein, conflict is a situation in which people, groups or countries are involved in a serious disagreement or argument which often results to violence; it can simply be defined as a state of complete confusion and disorder.

On the other hand, peace is a situation or a period of time in which there is no enmity, violence or war in a certain locality or country. More so, it is the state of being calm or quiet, or living in mutual friendship with others.

Hostility and conflict, or lack of peace, which has subjected mankind to a state of mockery, has indeed arrested the developmental thrives of most nations in the world thereby constituting a severe and uncontrollable poverty among the populace.

Conflict, which is as old as the world, has succeeded in rendering the socio-economic growth of many countries incapacitated due to its cruel and dastardly nature. Conflict or crisis through the emergence of terrorist activities such as assassination, kidnapping, massacre, genocide and what have you, has not only brought endless anxiety to the people, but has contributed immensely to the degradation of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the countries involved. Above all, the dangers of war or the level of the post-traumatic stress disorder attributed to it cannot be overemphasized.

Statistics show that the root cause of several conflicts are directly related to valuable natural resources such as gold, diamond, oil and gas, diesel, coal, kerosene, timber, water and so on. Needless to say; addressing the ownership, control and management of natural resources or endowments is crucial to maintaining peace and security thereby sustaining an ideal development.

Surely, peace and security are essential foundations for social progress and sustainable development. Thus, we must quench the fire of extremism among us in order to tackle the root causes of conflict, because peace is definitely a long journey that we are bound to collectively embark on. Suffice to say that, we are expected to hold peace in our hearts and minds, and tenderly nurture it so it would grow and blossom.

Regarding the effect of peace to humanity, in 1981, the United Nations (UN) General Assembly through a resolution established the International Day of Peace. The Assembly mandated the UN Member States to observe September 21 of every year as Int’l Day of Peace. The first International Peace Day was celebrated on Tuesday September 21, 1982; the first commemoration was meant to coincide with the anniversary of the United Nations’ opening session, which was held annually on the third Tuesday of September.

In addition to the commemoration, in 2001, the UN General Assembly by unanimous votes adopted resolution which established 21^st September of every year as an annual day of non-violence and ceasefire. By this resolution, the United Nations invites all nations and people to honour a cessation of hostilities, and to otherwise commemorate the Day through education and raising of public awareness on issues related to peace.

It is no longer news that, armed conflict causes untold grief and hardship to families, communities and the entire countries involved. Indeed, too many are suffering today at the brutal hands of war-mongers and terrorists. This is why, from the onset, we must learn to teach our children and wards the essence of tolerance and mutual respect. Let’s invest in the schools and teachers that will build a fair and inclusive world that embraces diversity; fight for peace at all cost, and defend it with all our might.

Therefore, from time to time, we are meant to sensitize our children, relatives, friends, colleagues and associates towards emulating the habit of the UN Messengers of Peace, or the likes of Princess Haya, Daniel Barenboim, Paulo Coelho, Michael Douglas, Jane Goodall, Edward Norton, Steve Wonder, Charlie Theron, Elie Wiesel, just to mention but a few, whom remain distinguished individuals carefully selected from the fields of art, literature, science, entertainment, sports and other fields of public life, who have agreed to help focus worldwide attention on the work of the United Nations as regards promotion of peace. These prominent personalities or icons volunteer their times, resources, energies, talents and passions to raise awareness of United Nations’ tireless efforts to improve the lives of billions of people worldwide.

The International Day of Peace offers people globally a shared date to think about how they can contribute towards ensuring that natural resources are managed in a mature and sustainable manner, thus reducing potential for disputes as well as paving ways for a sustainable future, which is no doubt the future we want.

As the world over commemorates the Int’l Day of Peace tomorrow, I’m using this avenue to call for a global condemnation of hostility and conflict lingering all over the world in order to sustain a formidable peace needed for both individual and national developments.

 

      COMR. FRED NWAOZOR

Public Affairs analyst & Social Crusader

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2014 Int'l Day For The Preservation Of The Ozone Layer (Aired Viewpoint)

COMMEMORATING THE 2014 INTERNATIONAL DAY FOR THE PRESERVATION OF THE OZONE LAYER, TODAY TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 16

       

Both in the past and present, mankind have been bewildered by so many environmental hazards and challenges. Presently the worst of these challenges is mainly attributable to depletion of the Ozone Layer.

      

The Ozone Layer is a fragile shield of gases that protects the earth from the harmful ultraviolet radiation or rays of the sun thereby helping to preserve lives on the planet in question.

       

A number of commonly used chemicals like halocarbons and/or organic compounds have been found to be extremely damaging to the Ozone layer. Halocarbons are chemicals in which one or more carbon atoms are linked to one or more halogen atoms such as fluorine, chlorine and bromine. The halocarbons containing bromine usually have much higher Ozone-Depleting Potential (ODP) than those that consist of chlorine.

       

The man-made chemicals that have provided most of the chlorine and bromine for Ozone depletion are methyl bromide, methyl chloroform, carbon tetrachloride, and families of chemicals known as halons, chlorofluorocarbons and hydro-chlorofluorocarbons. In the same vein; the damaging impacts of organic compounds like carbon monoxide on the Ozone layer, cannot be overemphasized.

        

The scientific confirmation of the depletion of the Ozone layer prompted the international community to establish a mechanism for cooperation to take drastic action to protect the Ozone layer. This was formalized in the Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer, which was adopted by twenty-eight (28) countries on 22^nd March 1985. In September 1987, this led to the drafting of the Treaty on The Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer, which was duly signed by all the United Nations Member States.

        

The fundamental aim of the Montreal Protocol is to protect the Ozone layer by taking severe measures to control total global production and consumption of substances that deplete it, with the ultimate target towards their elimination from the basis of developments in scientific knowledge and technological information.

       

In view of the steady progress made under the Montreal Protocol, in 2003, the former United Nations Secretary-General Mr. Kofi Annan stated, “Perhaps the single most successful international agreement till date has been the Montreal Protocol.” His views were shared widely among the international community.

       

In respect to the sustenance of the widely observed Montreal Protocol, on 19^th of December 1994, the United Nations (UN) General Assembly proclaimed September 16 of every year as the International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer. The UN annual Int’l Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer focuses on the importance of protecting human health and the environment in general.

         

The phase-out of controlled uses of Ozone depleting substances has not only helped to protect the Ozone layer, but has contributed immensely and significantly to global efforts of addressing climate change. This year’s commemoration of the Int’l Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer is calling for greater awareness regarding the Ozone Layer’s preservation in order to fully actualize the aim of this remarkable globally recognized crusade.

       

During the 2013 commemoration of the Day, which was marked with the theme “A healthy Atmosphere: the Future we want,” in his message to the world, the current UN Secretary-General Mr. Ban Ki-Moon commended all who had made the Montreal Protocol such an outstanding example of international cooperation. He went further to urge governments, industries, civil societies, and other partners to apply the same spirit to the other great environmental and developmental challenges of our time.

        

As the world over celebrates the 2014 Int’l Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer, today Tuesday September 16, we are expected to contribute our quota towards actualizing an atmosphere or environment that is totally free from any harmful substance.

       

Nigeria as a country can encourage this annual event by implementing drastic and severe measures that would help to eradicate all the activities contrary to the preservation of the Ozone layer such as bush burning, use of generators and other household mechanical devices in open places, coupled with other industrial practices that exhibit Carbon Monoxide or smoke as well as other substances that negatively affect the Ozone layer.

       

It is worthy to note that all hands are equally expected to be on deck towards the actualization of a society completely free from any form of environmental hazard or degradation.

 

   

      COMR. FRED NWAOZOR

Public Affairs analyst & Social activist

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