By Daniel Tyokua
Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State has inaugurated the 17-man State Community Policing Advisory Committee (SCPAC), under the chairmanship of the State Commissioner of Police, CP Ahmad Abdurrahman, with the Chairman of the State Traditional Rulers Council, HRH, Igwe Amb. Lawrence Agubuzu, as co-Chairman.
The Community Policing programme is an initiative of the Police, as communicated by the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mohammed Adamu Abubakar, which is saddled with the responsibility of deepening community approach as well as confidence, trust and mutual respect between the Police and the people, in the management of crimes and criminalities.
However, the programme which had been launched by previous IGPs with Enugu as pilot state, witnessed serial abuses with even Divisional Police Officers (DPOs) abusing the programme, even in Enugu state.
But inaugurating the committee at the Government House, Enugu, Gov. Ugwuanyi disclosed that his administration has rejigged and re-tooled the state Security Architecture to bring it up to speed with emerging dimensions of insecurity and criminality” through institutionalized collaboration among its Neighbourhood Watch groups, Forest Guards and security agencies, especially in the area of intelligence sharing.
The event was attended by the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Mohammed Abubakar, who was represented by the Deputy Inspector-General of Police in-charge of ICT, DIG Celestine Okoye; the Assistant Inspector General of Police, Zone 13, AIG Danmallam Mohammed, and other senior security officers.
Ugwuanyi said that the state’s Security Trust Fund Law was put in place to ensure sustainable support for security agencies in the state while the State Forest Guards Law is before the State Assembly for enactment into law.
He stated that “the deployment of our Automated Drone Surveillance Solution to give the needed impetus to our security surveillance is underway”.
The governor added that “the new Community Policing model is in sync with our extant strategy and will certainly be a strong flip to our modest accomplishments in security of lives and property in Enugu State”.
Pointing out that the Police have clear template for the implementation of the strategy, the governor explained that the “committee is to oversee and coordinate the implementation of the Community Policing in Enugu State”.
He congratulated members of the committee for their selection to execute the onerous task and expressed confidence that they will provide the needed leadership for the programme in the state “given your competencies in security matters, diverse experiences and track records of performance”.
Speaking, the IGP lauded Ugwuanyi for the successful inauguration of the committee in the state, stating that the new Community Policing model will be driven by the community.
In his remark, AIG Mohammed said that the new Policing “is a right idea at the right time”, assuring that “we will do our best to ensure that the citizens of Enugu State, South-East and beyond, sleep with their two eyes closed”.
Responding, the chairman of the newly inaugurated committee, CP Abdurrahman, commended Gov. Ugwuanyi for his leadership role and commitment to peace, which he said, contributed to the successful take-off of the programme in the South-East geo-political zone.
The CP pledged the committee’s loyalty and commitment to work assiduously towards the full realization of its set-objective.
The committee co-Chairman, Igwe Amb. Agubuzu, added that the traditional rulers in the state will work closely with this committee to achieve the objectives for which it was established.
Members of the 17-man committee also include O.S. Olofu (Enugu State Director, DSS); Air Commodore Chidiebere Obiabaka (Commander 533, Base Services Group of the Nigerian Airforce, Enugu); Abdullahi Abdul (Enugu State Commander, NDLEA); Everistus Obiyo (Commandant, Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, Enugu State Command); Emmanuel Arogundade (Enugu State Comptroller, Nigerian Immigration Service); Ogbonnaya Kalu (Sector Commander, FRSC, Enugu State) and Engr. Okwudiri Daniel Ohaa (Chief Fire Officer, Enugu State Fire Service).
Others are: M.I. Baya (Controller of Nigeria Customs Service, Enugu State); K. C. Emelue (Comptroller, Nigeria Correctional Service, Enugu); Dr. Dominic Ezema (Chairman, Police Community Relations Committee, Enugu State); Alhaji Abubakar Sambo (Sarki Hausa/Fulani Community); Rev. Emmanuel Edeh (Chairman, Christian Association of Nigeria, Enugu State); Prof. Chinedu Nebo (Former Minister of Power), representing Enugu-West Senatorial zone); Prof. Bartholomew Nnaji (Former Minister of Power, representing Enugu-East Senatorial zone) and Dr. Maduka Onyishi (representing Enugu-North Senatorial zone).
