The Police Campaign Against Cultism and Other Vices (POCACOV), a brain child of the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, in collaboration with the Enugu State Government, POCACOV ambassadors, comprising of Nollywood stars, Artistes, Comedians and other celebrities have embarked on massive campaign against cultism, sexual and gender based violence, thuggery and violence, substance abuse such as “DABA, Sarasuka, Kararari” amongst other vices in the country .
This was made known by the National Coordinator of Police Campaign Against Cultism and Other Vices (POCACOV) , CSP Ebere Amaraizu, in a statement in Enugu, shortly after his meeting with the POCACOV pioneer Ambassador, Nkem Owoh .
According to the statement, “POCACOV has produced many skits and film series as well as jingles amongst others and all of these are helping in the ongoing massive campaign by the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) through POCACOV.
Amaraizu said that POCACOV has ensured that through its stakeholders, vacuum in engagement was not created.
“We have also, through the support of Enugu State Government, produced 25,000 copies of Campaign made easy book titled “Nigerian Youths in Cultism and Other Vices and The Way Out “, distributed free of charge to all schools, colleges and communities by the Enugu State Government through its Ministry of Education.
“You know in POCACOV, everybody is involved and that’s why POCACOV is about you. We need to join hands with the Nigeria Police Force through POCACOV to save Nigerian children and youths from the claws of cultism and other vices thereby making our society a safe and secured place.
“We are mobilising Nigerian youths to shun cultism, substance abuse, sexual and gender based violence, thuggery and violence, cyber crime, examination malpractice, sex for grade and marks, sex for admission and employment, identity theft, amongst other vices, through POCACOV Advocacy Programme, Awareness creation and sensitization,mentoring and reorientation, amongst others.
“Additionally, we are also developing cartoon messages for our children which we shall be engaging them with through social and conventional media. The cartoon will have good moral and cultural message and will promote value system .We have our partnership with Technology giant of Tenece Technology that have been helping out messaging of school children and youths through virtual communication due to corona virus.
“We are on board to get across soon in the first cluster to states like Lagos ,Ogun ,Plateau ,Niger ,Oyo ,Imo, Abia amongst others. We are operating in Rivers and Delta States and we are deepening our community engagement and providing alternatives through our POCACOV Volunteer Club Scheme (PVCS ) of safer school/community partnership.
“POCACOV is a community driven programme of the Nigeria Police Force under IGP M.A Adamu structured in line with the tenets of the community oriented policing and involving different stakeholders .Achievements are being recorded on daily and weekly basis as many are turning from their evil ways and surrendering their weapons and becoming part and parcel of the society having realised that cultism and other vices are like the evil wind that blows nobody any good.
