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Abia takes war against insurgency to forests
From PETER OKORE, Umuahia
Worried by the prevailing high rate of insecurity in Nigeria, Abia State governor, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu has announced far- reaching strategic security measures focusing on combing forests in various communities and local government areas of the state with the intention of ridding them of criminals.
Addressing the issue, which he considered “topmost priority to the people and the state”, at a recent meeting he held with local government council chairmen and stakeholders in security sector of the state at Government lodge Aba, Ikpeazu stated that selected numbers of security personnel will be in-charge at each level of the security architecture across the state
According to him, the essence of the new security arrangements is to ensure that Abians live and conduct their businesses in peace and within peaceful environments, stressing that chairmen of local government areas in the state will coordinate the security apparatus in their respective areas in consultation with relevant stakeholders.
He disclosed that the leadership of each group of the personnel will be armed with relevant gadgets for prompt and effective communication and dissemination of information.
He further declared that his administration will not allow the security of Abia State to be compromised and, in that regard, urged participants at that meeting to focus on the activities of criminal herders in their respective forests with the intension of flushing them out.
Ikpeazu reiterated his administration’s commitment to the security of lives and property of Abians, stressing that he will ensure equitable distribution of forms of logistics to enable security personnel carry out their duties effectively
The governor declared: “Abia state is at the confluence of the South-East and South-South regions of this country, with the possibility of criminal activities from these other areas snowballing into the state. So, security is of paramount importance.”
He enjoined the chairmen to be dispassionate in choosing those that will head the security outfits at the community and local government levels as well as ensure they inaugurate the new security structure in their respective areas as soon as possible.
His words: “It is your duty to provide extra support for logistics and training. Having laid this plan, I want to state that the LG chairmen are free to make adjustments according to the peculiarities and circumstances of their various Local Government Areas to make the whole arrangement even more effective. I’m not going to micromanage it.
“What we have been preaching, from the national level, is for the federal government to allow the various state governments to have sufficient grip of the security apparatus in the states so that they can take necessary actions quickly whenever there is a breach.”
Responding on behalf of the others, the State Chairman of the state ALGON, Mr. Ibe Nwoke and the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Homeland Security, Comrade Christopher Okpara, thanked the governor for coming-up with well thought-out security measures to improve security at the grass-roots.
They promised to align themselves with the new policy- direction of the governor with a view to nipping insecurity in the bud.
