Senator representing Enugu North senatorial district in the National Assembly, Chukwuka Utazi has raised an alarm that Nigeria will face serious food challenges next year as farmers are unable to go to their farms due to attacks by killer herdsmen.
Speaking on Channels Television programme ‘Politics Today’ monitored by Newsmen, Utazi the insecurity crisis in the South East will be reduced to the barest minimum if urgent action is taken to arrest killer herdsmen who are moving about with AK-47 and are killing innocent citizens.
He said the people of the South East have now agreed that state police will go a long way in addressing the insecurity challenges as governors are powerless to perform their roles as chief security officers owing to the present unitary system which supports central policing from Abuja.
He said: “You have to look at the issue of these people moving about with AK-47 and killing our people. Beyond that people are saying we want state police. Before many people didn’t agree but today, it is a common issue for us in the South East and even in the southern part of Nigeria. We want state police so that we can help”.
“Now, you find that governors are chief security officers but they are not in charge. We have look at all those issues and we have come to the conclusion that it is very important that we have state police in the southeast to help us tackle the insecurity challenges.
“Today, many people cannot move to their farms, not to talk of kidnap for ransom and banditry and all that. we must disarm these herders moving about with AK-47 so that we can be civil and be able to discuss with our people. If we don’t do so, things will become difficult.
“Next year, we are going to face a lot of challenges in terms of food security in this country because many people cannot farm.
“This is farming season in my area but how many people can go to farms? They are not going anywhere and we are here speaking grammar and talking politics. We have to look at these issues and solve them once and for all.”
