The findings of the study of Imo State were not drastically different from that of other state of the South East region. The mechanisms employed in the study were all the same, there is however some peculiar issues that need to be mentioned. The scholar mentioned that four major themes were discerned from his discussions and interviews with the respondents. These include: assessment of governance and security situation in Imo State, identification of contemporary challenges to governance and security in the State, analysis of responses of citizens to security and governance challenges and a review of the implications of these responses to the challenges in the state.
It is worth to note that Imo State adopted the following development objectives:

• The security of lives and property of the citizens and the overall welfare of the people is the utmost and primary purpose and function of government.
• Effectively harness the resources of the State, promote internal-prosperity and an efficient, dynamic and self reliant economy
• Control of state economy in such a manner to secure the maximum welfare, freedom, and happiness of every citizen on the basis of social justice and equality of status and opportunity
• The promotion of a well planned and balanced economic development
• The material and natural resources of the State are harnessed and effectively distributed at best as possible to serve the common good of the people.
• The economic system is not operated in such a manner as to permit the concentration of State wealth or the means of production and exchange in the hands of few individuals or of a group.
• Government shall direct its policy towards ensuring that there are equal and adequate educational opportunities at all levels.
• The national ethics adopted by the government shall be discipline, integrity, dignity of labour, social justice, religious tolerance, self reliance and patriotism.

This study traced the efforts of past governments of Imo State to archive the State’s founding fathers’ blue prints and objectives and depended heavily on the National Crime Victimization Survey of CLEEN Foundation for 2012 for its thrust and findings. These include:

• That the key informants and respondents believe that past Leaders of Imo State performed poorly in governance and security especially from Achike Udenwa’s tenure to Ikedi Ohakim’s time.
• That the past governments of the State indicated deficits in governance of Imo State in terms of job provisions and infrastructural developments.
• All respondents believed that the only existing facilities in the State were provided by Sam Mbakwe government. This belief is so popular and wide spread. It is also believed that the past governments could not expand, build on or maintain the Mbakwe’s development stride and agenda making then either moribund or privatized with numerous workers laid off from work thus aggravating severe unemployment in the State.
• The State is often taunted to be unlucky in good governance as most of the past governments lacked the political will to improve standard of living of the people through reduction in the levels of poverty and unemployment. Job creating opportunities are scarcely available, resulting to high rate of negative net migration due to paucity of industries and corporate organizations to provide jobs to the teeming unemployed youths.
• The security situation in Imo State could be described as the outcome of the insensitivity of the government, the socio-economic policies of past governments that exacerbated the sufferings of the people through exposure of the youth to poverty, starvation and joblessness.
• Insecurity according the findings of the study in Imo State is engendered by uneven distribution of resources and commonwealth of the people, discouragement of culture of hard work even by government through favoritism, dishonest leaders, failed leadership, mass unemployment, negligence of the plight of the masses and ineptitude of the judicial system and security agencies.
• The local government that could have helped the masses it is believed are highly irresponsible and mismanage the local government funds that they cannot provide security to the people. This is because the State gives only pittance to local councils for operations.

As in other states of the South East, the people and government of Imo State have responded in many ways towards security and governance challenges facing them in the State. These include:

• Provision of shortfall of funding and equipment to Federal Police and other security agencies by State government.
• At the community and local levels, local vigilante groups and outfits are set-up.
• The State government has authorized the traditional rulers to supervise the vigilante groups in their localities and supported them with funds and other logistics.
• The government has launched community policing in Imo State.
• The government engaged the Joint Task Force of Army, Navy, Mobile Police and SSS to provide security in the State especially with the rising trend of terrorism and Kidnappers.
• The government has promised to grant amnesty to any criminal who repents and pledges to drop the guns and live a better life.
• The government of Imo State has concluded plans to demolish all illegal structures, uncompleted buildings and big forests and bushes in the State to clear all the criminal hideouts in Imo State.

The study identified few implications of thrusting the security of the communities upon the traditional rulers as follows:

• The community leaders could easily identify the criminals in their domain.
• Formation of vigilante groups involving youths and volunteers who have good character could reduce crimes in the local communities.
• The community rulers who have criminal intents could appoint their stooges as vigilante group members and in essence obviate the very essence of forming the vigilante groups.
• Cordial relationship between the President General of the town union and the traditional ruler is a functional pre-requisite for security in the communities.

The study finally recommends the following:

• Government should expedite action at infrastructural development in the State.
• The government should enlist the support of corporate organizations to site industries in the State as to create jobs.
• Relevant reforms should be made to strengthen the relationship between traditional institutions [the traditional rulers and community development associations] to empower them for good governance and efficiency in provision of security.
• The cutting down all big forests in the State is against the spirit of environmental conservation and must be reconsidered. It also against the survival spirit of our village folks whose source of livelihood is the forests.
• State security and development policy must be deepening, broadening and encompassing.
• There is need for robust State Security objective that affirms, promotes and sustains the overall well-being and happiness of the people and also encourages foreign investors in the State.