By Bernadette Idalu
Executive Director, Tax Compliance, Edo State Internal Revenue Service (EIRS), Mr. Emmanuel Ehimare Okodugha has traced the rise in societal crimes to the faulty get rich matrix for measuring success.
The EIRS tax expert made the above declaration in his presentation, “Practical ways of achieving workable solutions to the security challenges in Edo Central Senatorial District,” at the Esan Leaders Summit
which held at Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, August 10, 2019.
He drew attention to the point of convergence between the inordinate quest for wealth and it’s attendant ability to ignite crime/vices in society.
Addressing the Esan leaders of thought, Okodugha informed that it was imperative to trace, so as to understand causes of insecurity, sources of societal disorder and instability to better appreciate the subject matter.
He alleged that the breakdown of the moral fabrics of the nation has led to the corrupt definition of success which breeds a corrupt mentality and promotion of the wrong value system.
He lamented that Crass materialism and the cultural ecosystem of bribery and corruption has eroded Nigeria, breeding a, “Society that does not judge you by the content of character, skills or value system rather you are rated and judged by the amount of money you have in your bank account, fleet of cars and human connections.
” Society no longer celebrates excellence but mediocrity, dishonesty and materialism, poverty and economic deprivation and the peculiar Nigeria border challenge which fuel insecurity.”
Drawing from the Edo State model where government is creating jobs through powering an entrepreneurship drive, Okodugha called on all levels of government to key into this kind of drive which provides the enabling environment for the natural eradication of crime.
He called on all levels of government especially at grassroots level, to provide the enabling environment that allows businesses to thrive, using the Edo State Government’s experience.
He reiterated that Governor Godwin Obaseki through this scheme was already creating, “Job opportunities, delivering people oriented projects like the Edo production centre where more than 200 micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMES) have already expressed interest to site their business there.”
He also pointed at the agricultural diversity in the state and the attendant construction of road networks to boost businesses, as positive achievements worth emulating.
He called on Local government council Chairmen from Edo Central Senatorial zone to replicate the job creating model of the state government in their respective councils.
He equally gave recommendation for the state and local government councils to collaborate, deploying drone technology to curb the activities of Fulani herdsmen in the state and local government councils.
He said this became necessary because, the war against terror is a war of ideology that requires intelligence based technology.
He equally sued for the use of internet enabled Inverter solar powered CCTV cameras in major roads, towns and public places in Edo Central Senatorial zone to checkmate criminal elements.
On a final note he called for the use of solar powered street light to provide electricity as he observed that there is a nexus between darkness and insecurity.
Culled from EIRS Director Proposes Matrix For Combating Societal Crime
