Mr. Kennedy Odion, the Chairman, African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Edo State, has called for strong political will to tackle the issues of insecurity in Nigeria.
He made the call while speaking on local and national issues as they affect the ordinary Nigerian populace.
“No Nigerian is comfortable with the security situation as it is,” he added. If you are in this country, you are impacted.
“The security challenge is essentially political and what is needed is the resolve and political will to confront it squarely.
He said government agencies have intelligence reports on criminal activities but do not act decisively due to lack of commitment.
He, however, declined to disclose specific security strategies but stressed that the ADC would focus on the safety and well-being of Nigerians if given the opportunity to govern.
The first duties of government are to the safety and well-being of the people. “We are not playing politics with security because lives of Nigerians are too important,” Odion added.
The chairman also urged the citizens not to lose faith in the country despite the current challenges.
“We do not have a second Nigeria. “Nigerians are hopeful people and we must continue to believe that our country can be better with good leadership,” he said.
Some members were aggrieved and some disputes are before the courts, said the ADC chairman about moves to unite the party for future elections.
But he revealed that reconciliation efforts are already in progress.
“We understand that elections are about numbers. No aggrieved member is there that we are not willing to reach out to.
He said, “We have set up committees and we are engaging everybody to ensure that there is unity in the party.
He expressed hope that the breakaway members would come back and said talks and negotiations were still on.
He could not give a time-frame for the process of reconciliation but insisted that the party was determined to resolve internal differences and put up a united front.
“Anything that involves human beings will take time. We are looking at the issues and talking to those concerned and looking at how we can resolve them.
“We are confident that the party will come out stronger,” he said.
