The Anambra State Commandant, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Maku Olatunde, has called on religious leaders to take the issue of security seriously by supporting security agencies in their efforts to protect the lives and properties of the citizens.
Maku stated this on Wednesday while on a courtesy visit to the Catholic Bishop of Awka, Paulinus Ezeokafor, at the Catholic Secretariat in Awka, the state capital.
He added that religious leaders play significant roles in society while urging them to utilise their positions in advocating, educating and instilling morals in the congregation not to indulge in crimes or allow insecurity in society to fester with their actions.
He said, “The NSCDC in collaboration with other security agencies are working in harmony to improve peaceful coexistence in the state and we implore clerics to offer prayers, be security-conscious and create an enabling environment for effective security of places of worship.
“Church leaders should assist security agencies by sharing credible and actionable intelligence that can nib crime in the bud within their domains or worship centers.”
Responding, the Catholic Bishop thanked the NSCDC boss in the state for the visit which he described as timely.
Ezeokafor assured the NSCDC state commandant of strengthened collaboration, saying, that the Church is ready and willing to partner with the NSCDC in the formation of people’s conscience.
“We are partners in progress and our position in the Catholic Church is to make your work less cumbersome.
“We are going to help you to talk to the conscience of people through inculcating morals in them. If our country can get better citizens, governance will be very easy.
“If everybody knows that killing is evil, why would they engage in that? Insecurity does nobody good,” Ezeokafor added.
The cleric prayed for the leadership of the\xa0 Corps, the state commandant and his team, and wished them well while he noted that their success is dependent on God.
The State Commandant was accompanied on the visit by deputy commandant – Orji Ogbu, Ike George, Prominence Ukaobi; and assistant commandant Fidelia Enunwe.