AGN Partners Police To Fight Crime In Rivers
Edith CHUKU / Josephine REUBEN PH
Actors Guild of Nigeria, Rivers State chapter, has partnered with the state police command in a bid to strengthen the fight to eradicate crime in the state.
AGN affirmed her commitment to support the Police to achieve a crime free terrain during a press conference organized to officially kick-off the ‘Rivers Zero Crime Initiative, Campaign For A Crime Free Terrain’, held at the Presidential Hotel, Port Harcourt.
The event was duly attended by the state governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, who was represented by his deputy, Prof. Ngozi Nma Odu, the commissioner of police, Nwonyi Polycarp Emeka and his team, among several others.
Those in partnership with the state police were Rivers State Council of Nigeria Union of Journalists NUJ, Performing Musicians Association of Nigeria PMAN, comedians, hoteliers, corporate organizations, NAPPS, DESGOL entertainment, AGN, NANTAP, NAFMAN, PCRC, among others.
Programmes featured at the event were an address by the CP, interactive session, humour by comedian Angel D’ Laff, speech by the state deputy governor, among others.
Chairman of the guild, Chief Ken Osunwa, in an interview with TNN, explained that the reason for the partnership was to support the police in their efforts to combat crimes and make the state a safe place for everyone.
Osunwa, who is also a member of the planning committee for the ‘Rivers Zero Crime Initiative’ highlighted that AGN will support the police by providing information, intelligence in fighting crime.
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According to him, “you know we are entertainers and again we are interfacing with the grassroot, and if the grassroot is not safe, if the field is not safe we can’t operate, no movie will take place in any community where there is chaos and trouble, so, we are most involved in this because we need to synergize with the police who don’t even reach some places that we reach, to make sure that we provide information, intelligence in fighting this crime, that is why we are involved.
“Again, remember that we use police props and it’s important we synergize with them so that they will now know the people who use their props, so that let it not be that armed robbers are using their props to act movies, so we are involved in several areas.”
To the youths perpetrating crime in the state and nation at large, he said, “our word is that please they should join forces with us, that is why in the team there is no police person involved, we are all civilians, we are all civil society people, most of us are youths who are also encouraging other youths to behave well and to also get involved in this, crime has not paid anybody and it cannot even pay tomorrow, so it is better we put all those things that will distract us out and focus on those that can help our community to be at peace, that is our cry for everybody.”
In his address, CP Nwonyi said, “you all are gathered here as partners with me in the actualization of this epoch-making event, an initiative birthed out of the need to effectively rebuild trust, fight crime, promote the positive union between the police and the citizenry for the purpose of pro-active/intelligence driven policing and improve the economic development of our dear Rivers State.
“The Rivers Zero Crime Initiative even though it is birthed by the Rivers State Police Command is peoples’ driven and that is why a volunteer team headed by Ms Kate Ezeigbo was specially handpicked. The team are resilient and hardworking civilians who in a very short period of time understood the vision and decided to run with it. Their job is simple; to give the initiative public sensitization, information management and proper communication.”
The Commissioner of police added that, “crime fighting should be everyone’s business and that is why we have reached out to over a hundred organizations to come partner with us. It is not an interactive for just the elites or the poor, it is an initiative for all, and that is the reason why an open-door policy is operated.”
Also speaking, the coordinator of the initiative, Kate Chidinma Ezeigbo, explained that the campaign was geared towards eradicating crime and making Rivers a crime free terrain.
She expressed satisfaction with the turnout of people and urged the youths to shun all forms of criminality and join the campaign to ensure safe and crime free environment in the 23 local government areas of the state.
Ezeigbo added that the one-week event will feature road walk, workshop, medical outreach by commissioner of police, essay competition, beauty pageant (Queens and Kings), football competition (CP Cup) and concert (night of laughter).
