Opening Remark by Kemi Okenyodo, Executive Director
Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, I welcome you on behalf
of the CLEEN Foundation, the National Human Rights Commission, the Nigerian
Governors Forum and the Ford Foundation to this unique Summit
aimed at discussing security and governance challenges in the south eastern
part of Nigeria .
This Summit
is being organised to bring together critical stakeholders in this region to
discuss issues that have ‘easily beset this region’. Talking from the
perspective of an outsider (a concerned one!), growing up, what one knew about
this region was that it was a region that groomed industrious hard working men.
This is illustrated in the caliber of persons that have emerged from the South
East – the late Nnamdi Azikwe, late Ikemba Odumegwu Ojukwu, late Chinua Achebe,
Chief Alex Ekuweme, Chief Emeka Anyaoku and in recent times Mrs. Oby
Ezekwesili, Mrs. Ngozi Okonjo Iweala and Prof. Dora Akunyili to mention a few.
The active nature of community development associations is
also a brand of the south east communities – so strong is this brand that where
ever you go in this country and outside the shores of the country, you are sure
to find CDAs as avenues where Igbo people would come together periodically
(weekly / monthly) as a group to interact and address issues that are common to
them. That is how their culture of hardwork and achievement values have been
propagated.
Another positive thing I have seen about the South East is
that the average Igbo man or woman is very religious; religion has a strong
influence on the people. It is a point of convergence – in the community, place
of business. At 12pm prompt either in Lagos or Abuja you are sure that
the Igbo traders would start praise / worship and prayers in the market place.
There is something unique about each state in this region:
1. Abia – houses Aba , which
can be said to be the Italy
or China
of the region. The artisans in Aba can immitate
any fashion design- particularly leather products (shoes, bags, belts etc) of
the high streets in New York , England or Paris .
2. Anambra – with the waters can be ?? and the great minds
of the region – the great Chinua Achebe who is the father of African
literature, and Chief Emeka Anyaoku.
3. Enugu – houses one of the
ivy league universities in the country, University of Nigeria
4. Ebonyi – an agricultural community which produces good
quality local rice – Abakaliki rice.
5. Imo – which can be said to be gateway state to other
South East / South-South states and emerging as a tourist or confluence state
with about 6 tertiary institutions and the home of Nigeria ’s most prominent civil
society actors.
All this notwithstanding, we are here because all is not
well; or do I say, because the South East can be better off than it is at the
moment.
Despite all the positive indicators listed above developmental
challenges have plagued the region in the past 14 years. The indices for human
insecurity are high – poverty, illiteracy, unemployment, human capital flight
(brain drain) etc.
Even though it could be argued this has been characteristic
of the entire Nigeria ,
evidence is showing that the South East needs specific attention.
All the above has invariably increased the insecurity in the
region. Criminality is at its peak. 90% of the people from the South East
interviewed in the last National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) conducted
annually by CLEEN responded were scared of becoming a victim of crime. That is
9 out of 10!
There is also the negative one linked to treatment and
respect for women. Observing the region, one can get the impression that women
are seen as ‘chattels’ and extrinsic value is not placed on them as persons.
The South East ranks second highest on domestic violence at 36%, far above the
national average which was 31% in the 2012 National Crime Victimization Survey.
The face of law enforcement and policing one sees in Lagos
and Abuja is totally different from what one finds in the South East, where the
security and law enforcement officials have become an ‘occupying force’. As
transparency and accountability is low and the tendency of oppressing and
abusing the rights of the people appears high.
In summary, good governance guarantees security where the
structure, functions, purposes, powers and duties of government must serve the
interest and satisfy the aspirations of the people.
Society tends to be well secured when governments in power
evolve and sustain economic policies and programmes capable of preventing
crises and conflicts. Security is about the survival and positive conditions of
human existence, about peace, development, justice, whose absence create the
condition for conflict and insecurity. To paraphrase Achebe, we want to know
where the rain started beating us in the South East.
CLEEN Foundation is a nongovernmental organisation aimed at
promoting publuc safety, security and accessible justice in Nigeria and West Africa
sub region at large. When we birthed the Owerri office it was with a view of
having an office that would integrate projects / activities on security and
governance in the South East. Being true to our strategy of engagement, we know
that we cannot do it alone and have sought the cooperation of various role
players and interest groups (from government to civil society organisations
including community / town leaders, academia, media etc) to take a keen
interest in the governance of the region and to promote right-based approach to
community development.
We look forward an interactive 2-day discussion with the
hope that at the end of our discussions we would leave here adopting a
declaration on Security and Governance in the Southeast.
Welcome once again, and thank you.
Kemi Okenyodo
