From Noah Ocheni, Lokoja
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) senatorial candidate for Kogi East, Alhaji Aminu Suleiman, has promised to deploy every legitimate parliamentary instrument to attract investment and development to the Igala/Bassa nation if elected.
Suleiman made the promise at the 6th Annual Summit of the Kogi East Neighborhood Watch held at Government Science Secondary School, Dekina, Dekina Local Government Area, over the weekend.
He said his priority would be to position Kogi East as a destination for investment, innovation, agriculture, technology, infrastructure and human capital development, with the aim of improving the living standards of residents.
The ADC candidate stressed that development could not thrive without adequate security, noting that security challenges confronting communities were becoming increasingly sophisticated.
He therefore called for a stronger and better-coordinated security architecture for the Kogi East axis.
“We must be prepared to work with the best security consultants, professional security organisations and reputable international institutions to identify global best practices and develop a security model specifically designed for our communities,” he said.
Suleiman said the proposed approach should be intelligence-led, technology-enabled, community-focused and properly coordinated with recognised security agencies of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
He added that Kogi East should be willing to learn from developed countries that had successfully established effective community security systems.
The senatorial hopeful also identified community-based initiatives such as the Kogi East Neighborhood Watch as important complements to formal security institutions through community intelligence, early warning, surveillance, information sharing and engagement.
He stressed the need to build a culture where responsible citizens felt empowered to provide intelligence to appropriate authorities.
“The youths know what is happening among their peers, the women know what happens within families and neighbourhoods, and all our religious leaders have enormous influence in shaping values and behaviour,” he said.
