…Urges IGP Adamu to retain Ebonyi in Zone 13
Clement Nnachi, Abakaliki
Chairman of the South East Governors Forum and Governor of Ebonyi State, Engr. David Umahi, has dared the leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, to discontinue his agitation to drag Ndigbo into another civil war with the Nigerian State.
Governor Umahi issued the warning, in Abakaliki, the state capital, on Thursday, while inaugurating members of Ebonyi State Community Policing Committee and the State Advisory Policing Committee at the Ecumenical Canter.
He said that the priority of the South East governors and other Leaders of Thought was to use the scarce resources to better the lives of the citizenry.
In the words of the governor, “There is no amount of blackmail in the social media that will ginger us to go into another senseless civil war, all we need to do is to use the small resources at our resources to better the lives of the people.
“You cannot be outside the country and push us to war, we ask you to come back and lead the war”, Governor Umahi retorted.
The governor commended the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Mohammed Adamu, for approving the setting up of community policing in the country.
He said that the newly-inaugurated Neighbourhood Watch where selected 50 persons per local government making a total of 650 members for the entire State.
Governor Umahi threatened to sack the state’s Commissioner for Internal Security and other Special Assistants on Security over alleged incompetence.
“I am warning you publicly to sit up and do the job. Sstop deceiving yourself pretending you are working.
“If Ebonyi State records any case of armed robbery and kidnapping, I will sack you the appointees.”
Members of the State Police Advisory Committee included His Majesty Charles Nkpuma (Chairman), Commissioner of Police Philip Maku, Representative of Army Cantonment Nkwegu, Chairman of Christian Association of Nigeria Reverend Father Abraham Nwali, representative of Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corp and Civil Society. Organisation (CSOs).
He urged the Ebonyi State Commissioner of Police Philip Maku, to make available the Guidelines for the operation of the “Neighbourhood Watch”.
Governor Umahi also harped on the need for intelligence gathering among security agencies, stating the police will continue to train the members of Neighbourhood Watch .
In a similar vein, Governor Umahi has expressed dismay over the removal of the state from the Zone 9 Headquarters of the Nigeria Police and its replacement with Zone 13 whose Headquarters is located at Dunukofia, in Anambra State.
“We cannot belong to Awka, our level never reach that place, I moved our people to zone 9, I don’t know who smuggled us to Awka.
“Let us be in Umuahia, AIG should tell IGP , we are in Umuahia, we no go Awka”
On the status of loan obtainment by the Ebonyi State Government, Governor Umahi insisted that his administration has not obtained any foreign loan except the loans obtained by previous administration of Dr Sam Egwu and Chief Martin Elechi respectively
In a speech, the Inspector General of Police Mohammed Adamu represented by the AIG Zone 13 DIG, Celestine Okoye, said that community policing was an age-long tradition in various communities where Age Grade System had been used to enforce security at the grassroots.
“Community Policing is to assist the Security Agencies maintain adequate security at the grassroots, am optimistic that the newly inaugurated Neighbourhood Watch would go a long way in tackling the challenges of insecurity at the communities.”
The occasion was attended by the Assistant Inspector General of Police Zone 13 Dunukofia, DIG Celestine Okoye, the state’s Commissioner of Police, Philip Maku, members of the State Executive Council, Speaker of the Ebonyi State House of Assembly Francis Nwifuru, Heads of Security Agencies, among others.
