Bianca Ojukwu, the Secretary of the Truth, Justice and Peace Committee set up by Governor Charles Soludo of Anambra State, has submitted the report of the panel.
POLITICS NIGERIA recalls that as part of his efforts to rid Anambra State of criminals, Governor Soludo constituted a 15-man committee in May 2022.
Soludo, who was sworn into office on March 17, 2022, has been battling the scourge of the ‘Unknown Gunmen’ in the state. The menace is also suffered by other southeast states.
The report of the Truth, Justice and Peace Commission was delivered by Bianca on the Commission’s behalf to Governor Soludo in the Executive Chamber of the Government House in Awka on Friday.
Professor Chidi Odinkalu, Chairman of the Commission, who joined the session via a video platform, explained that the report provides a framework of diagnosis for the crises of agitation, violence, and alleged victimisation in the southeast region.
He stated that the commission saw this as critical for gaining an informed understanding of the context, scope, and actors of violent conflict prevalent in the state, as well as gaining a foothold in the region.
He revealed that the report paints a clear picture of the current agitation and violence in the South East states being quite complex and not amenable to a single narrative.
Professor Odinkalu presented interim recommendations that included a strategy that places atrocity violence within a Public Health framework, a Bureau of Missing Persons within the Ministry of Justice or the Ministry of Security and Homeland Affairs to document the missing and disappeared, and a Bureau of Missing Persons within the Ministry of Justice or the Ministry of Security and Homeland Affairs to document the missing and disappeared.
Professionalisation and effective coordination of vigilante services in the state, institutionalisation of deliverables for the Ministry of Security and Homeland Affairs, establishment of an Anambra Integrated Civic Surveillance System, and establishment of an Anambra State Safety and Environmental Commission, among others were also suggested.
Professor Odinkalu stated that the commission will hold public hearings after the 2023 general elections, with the Governor’s approval.
Governor Soludo responded by thanking the Chairman and members of the Commission and approving their request to extend the deadline for the completion and submission of their final report until the end of 2023.
The Governor stated that he will give the report urgent and serious consideration, even before their final report is received, and requested that the Attorney-General, Professor Sylvia Ifemeje, who is a member of the Commission, table the report for consideration at the next Executive Council meeting.
Chief of Staff to the Governor, Ernest Ezeajughi; Head of Service, Barrister Theodora Igwegbe; Chief Protocol to the Governor, Chinedu Nwoye; Commissioner for Town Union and Local Government Matters, Tony Collins Nwabunwanne; and Commissioner for Special Duties, Barrister Sly Ezeokenwa; among others, attended the event.
