Former Abia Speaker and APC House of Representatives candidate, Rt. Hon. Chinedum Enyinnaya Orji, says President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s combined use of military operations and community-based programmes is beginning to “reclaim Nigeria’s peace” after years of insecurity.

Orji argued that the administration since May 2023 has refused to treat force and prevention as competing options, and has instead pursued both simultaneously.

According to him, the kinetic component is the “hard edge of state power” involving the deployment of the Armed Forces, police, and intelligence agencies to directly confront criminal networks. He cited sustained operations against terrorist enclaves in the Northeast and raids on bandit camps in Zamfara, Katsina, Kaduna and Niger states.

He also pointed to targeted rescues of kidnapped Nigerians, improved highway policing, aerial surveillance, and stronger intelligence coordination among the DSS, NIA, police and military, which he said had helped security agencies move from reaction to anticipation.

In an article titled “A Steady Hand in a Storm: President Tinubu’s Dual Strategy for Reclaiming Nigeria’s Peace,” Orji argued that the non-kinetic component tackles the root causes of insecurity through dialogue, economic empowerment, education, deradicalisation and rehabilitation.

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“Peace held by soldiers alone is fragile. Peace owned by communities lasts,” he wrote. “One clears the ground, the other plants something better in its place.”

The former Speaker said the administration’s early directives included empowering the service chiefs, improving inter-agency coordination and strengthening funding and morale for frontline troops without political interference.

On the non-kinetic side, he said traditional rulers, religious leaders and civil society were being brought into security discussions because lasting peace cannot be decreed from Abuja alone.

He listed agricultural support, access to credit and rural infrastructure as part of efforts to address the economic desperation that can make young people vulnerable to recruitment by criminal groups.

Orji also defended deradicalisation and rehabilitation programmes for repentant fighters and victims of violent extremism, describing them as strategic tools rather than signs of weakness.

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“This is not weakness. It is strategy. It reduces the pool of foot soldiers available to violent groups and gives communities a path back to normalcy,” he stated.

He said the dual approach was also being applied to communal conflicts through mediation, land-use dialogue and livelihood alternatives designed to address grievances before they turn violent.

In the Northwest, Orji said kinetic operations had helped reopen markets and grazing routes, while dialogue with farmer and herder associations was helping reduce reprisal attacks and establish early-warning mechanisms.

He said the approach also extended beyond Nigeria’s borders through ECOWAS and bilateral security partnerships, noting that criminal networks and traffickers do not respect national boundaries.

The APC chieftain further highlighted the use of hotspot mapping, drone surveillance and community reporting apps as part of what he described as a more data-driven approach to security, allowing resources to be directed toward emerging threats rather than only areas where attacks have already occurred.

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Orji argued that security has direct economic implications, saying improved stability would strengthen confidence in agriculture, mining, logistics and other productive sectors.

“Jobs follow confidence,” he wrote.

He also stressed the importance of citizens becoming active partners in security through neighbourhood watches, tip lines and town-hall engagements.

“Citizens are not spectators,” he stated.

The former Speaker said what distinguishes the administration’s approach is patience and continuity, arguing that security gains are cumulative rather than theatrical and that institutions need time to learn, adapt and consolidate progress.

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He also pointed to legal and constitutional measures, including improved equipment procurement and support for ongoing discussions around state policing, saying Nigeria’s size requires a layered security architecture.

While defending the administration’s direction, Orji acknowledged that the challenge remains.

“No honest assessment will claim the job is finished. Insecurity is hydra-headed and will test any government. But the direction is clear and the method is sound,” he said.

He called for continuity in the strategy, urging government to sustain pressure on criminal groups while deepening investments in vulnerable communities.

Orji said the ultimate objective should go beyond simply reducing attacks to creating conditions in which insecurity becomes increasingly difficult to sustain.

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“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has set a template: firmness without recklessness, and compassion without naivety. In a nation as complex as ours, that balance is leadership,” Orji concluded.

The Federal Government’s Trans-Sahara Highway project linking Calabar through Ebonyi and other states to Abuja has recorded significant progress, with Section One now estimated at 45 per cent completion.

Minister of Works, Senator Dave Umahi, disclosed this during an inspection of the Calabar-Ebonyi-Benue-Nasarawa-Abuja highway at Nwedeoga Ndidenyi Ishieke in Ebonyi State. He commended Infiouest International, the contractor handling the project, for what he described as the quality and pace of construction. “Section One is about 40, I will give them 45 per cent in completion. The quality of the concrete pavement is top-notch,” Umahi said.

According to the minister, Section One covers about 125.5 kilometres, beginning from the Ndibe Beach axis and passing through Akpoha, Abomege, Amudo, Onueke, Ezza North and parts of Ebonyi Local Government Areas. He said sections of the route were being dualised in response to increasing economic activities and urban expansion, particularly the 8.9-kilometre Afikpo stretch and a two-kilometre section around Abomege.

Umahi also disclosed that Section Two, extending into Benue and other states, spans about 173.6 kilometres and has a contract value of approximately ₦683 billion, with 30 per cent of the contract sum already paid by the Federal Government. “There is nothing stopping the contractor from working,” he said, stressing that the project would create a major transportation link between the Southeast and other parts of the country.

Beyond road connectivity, the minister said the project would boost the movement of agricultural produce, goods and people while strengthening security along the corridor. He disclosed that security measures would include CCTV surveillance, solar-powered streetlights and specialised highway guard units.

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Umahi further revealed that Infiouest International had employed more than 2,000 people on Section One, creating direct and indirect economic opportunities for residents of communities along the route. Earlier, the Section One Engineer, Mohammed Mustapha, said construction had progressed from Afikpo towards the Mbeke axis. “We are almost at 40 per cent of the project, starting from Afikpo to reach Mbeke here,” he said.

The Section Two Engineer, Rabih Munayyar, said mobilisation and construction activities were being accelerated, including bush clearing and other preparatory works. He also praised Umahi’s technical oversight of the project, saying, “I have never seen anybody so technically professional. Really, I’m impressed.” Acting Controller of the Trans-Sahara Road Project in Ebonyi, Engineer Maxwell Oko, identified the inspection point as kilometre 118+300 of Section Two and said Section One had major structures, including flyovers at Onueke and Ukwachi Junctions.

The Senior Special Assistant to President Bola Tinubu on Community Engagement for the Southeast, Barrister Choma Nweze, described the highway as an economic intervention capable of transforming communities by improving access to hospitals, markets and other economic centres. “I’m amazed that every road, every place is being opened up. This will give our women the opportunity of getting to hospital without giving birth on the road. It will make our farmers able to bring their food to town to sell,” she said.

During the inspection, Umahi also assessed areas where buildings and other properties could be affected by the road alignment. He said the Federal Government was working with relevant authorities on compensation and resettlement, while commending the Ebonyi State Government for supporting compensation efforts, particularly around the Onueke flyover corridor.

He maintained that the project would reduce travel time, improve security and expand economic opportunities, urging Nigerians and media practitioners to assess the government’s infrastructure performance through verifiable facts, physical project delivery and developments on the ground rather than unconfirmed narratives.

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A political analyst, Dr. Kenneth Anozie, has described Dr. Anyichuks Odii as a potential solution to what he characterised as the challenges of governance in Ebonyi State, ahead of the 2027 elections.

In a statement titled “Ebonyi 2027; Don’t Cry Anymore,” Anozie declared that the state’s “time of freedom has finally come,” while presenting Odii as a leader with the competence and capacity to transform the state.

According to the analyst, Ebonyi residents have endured what he described as “incompetence and maladministration” under the current APC-led administration, alleging that the situation has caused widespread hardship among the people.

He argued that the 2027 election presents an opportunity for Ebonyi residents to demand a change in leadership, describing Odii as “Godsent” and an answer to the prayers of the people.

Anozie also highlighted areas where he believes Odii could make an impact if elected, including tackling insecurity, improving the education sector, promoting industrialisation and investment, advancing mechanised agriculture, and strengthening healthcare delivery.

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“Ebonyi time of freedom has finally come,” Anozie said, adding that Odii represents the redemption he believes the people of the state are waiting for.

The analyst urged Ebonyi residents not to miss what he described as an opportunity for the state’s transformation, declaring: “Ebonyi: Anyichuks Odii got your back.”