ECA hails Enugu governor’s effort to tackle insecurity

The Eastern Consultative Assembly (ECA) has commended the Enugu State governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi for creating and equipping forest guards, as well as purchasing 360 security vehicles for the neighbourhood watch, police, soldiers and civil defence personnel with a view to tackling insecurity in the state.

The group which gave the commendation in a statement, Friday, by its Secretary-general, Evangelist Elliot Uko, called on other state governors in the South East to follow Ugwuanyi’s steps.

“The demonstration of seriousness to combat insecurity and checkmate rogue herdsmen head on by the government of Enugu state is commendable,” statement said.

“The tight structure of the newly created forest guards and the radio equipment provided them is assuring. The immediate recruitment of thousands of able bodied young people, equipped with brand new vehicles and autobikes is comforting.

“We have dutifully criticised in the past, therefore it is only fair and just that we commend, when the government does the right thing.

Some of the Sienna buses

“We are also happy to note that all over the state, the people’s mood has changed from fear and trepidation to gladness and hope. Hope that it would be difficult for unscrupulous herdsmen to overrun our peaceful hamlets and communities.

“The total coverage of all the wards and villages in the state by this novel outfit is reassuring to the people.

“We therefore plead with the other sister-states to copy immediately, in order to secure our region from blood thirsty killers, whom we believe will find it extremely difficult to terrorize our communities any more.

“The brilliant move by Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi to quietly seek out a response to the quite embarrassing incessant assaults and attacks on our people has earned him respects,as a doer and not a talker.”

The assembly said Ugwuanyi’s style of silently articulating solutions to problems puts him ahead of his peers.

“His strategy and style of patiently articulating a solution to the problem rather than respond to the tantrums of uinformed commentators has placed him as a leader in a class of his own. We say kudos to the governor, as we hope this move will finally put to an end disturbing incursions into our communities by unwelcome troublemakers.”

The Enugu governor had on Wednesday, announced purchase of 360 security patrol vehicles made up of 260 Siena vehicles and 100 Hilux vans to be distributed to security agencies, vigilance groups and forest guards in the state.

Ugwuanyi who showed journalists the vehicles at the Government House, Enugu, said that the 260 Siena vehicles would be distributed to all neighbourhood watch groups and forest guards while the Hilux vans would be given to the army, police and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).

The governor said that the state government had also placed order for security patrol motorcycles and bicycles, pointing out that the move was to further strengthen the security architecture of the state.

He said that the new move would ensure that all the 478 autonomous communities in the state were secured.

He said the state government was in constant consultation with security experts in its bid to ensure the implementation of a laudable forest guard security outfit in the state.

He said that being the first state in the country to have forest guards, “we do not want to make mistakes. That is why we are consulting security experts at every stage.”