The Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Alfred Achebe, has identified youth unemployment, armed robbery, cultism, drug addiction, child prostitution among others as the social vices bedeviling Onitsha community and environs in Anambra State.

He, however, commended the Anambra state Vigilante Group (AVG), for the protection of lives and property in his kingdom, insisting that his subjects wholly relied on their services for prevention.

Achebe, who spoke in Onitsha, yesterday, during the 2023 Ofala Festival tagged, “Better, Stronger, Together,” sponsored by one of telecommunications giants, Globacom, lamented that touting, homelessness, gangsterism, homelessness and rape also had remained major challenges of the town.

He regretted what he described as reactive approach of security agencies with stations in Onitsha, including the police, army, navy and the Department of State Security (DSS) towards crime in the commercial city, adding: “Our biggest challenge is inadequacy of funding for salaries, equipment, and consumables, which is literally borne by the community.”, except for the paltry state government contribution of N10,000 each for 10 persons per month.”

Achebe, who is also the Chairman, Anambra State Traditional Rulers Council, commended individuals and organisations who have played various roles in sustaining the yearly festival, saying: “With the strides that it has made, the Ofala continues to receive both national and international recognition.”

He said the Ofala Festival had grown steadily in terms of its scope, social glamour, and intrinsic meaning for Ndi Onicha.

In his speech, the state governor, Prof. Charles Soludo, congratulated Igwe Achebe on the celebration, describing his numerous achievements in past 21 years as unprecedented, especially in youth empowerment.

On insecurity, he reassured his commitment in fighting crime and criminality in the commercial city, stressing that his administration has commenced on massive road construction in Onitsha and tackling the menace of agbero.