Gov. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State has reiterated his administration’s resolve to ensure that the state remains the safest and most-secured in the country.
Ugwuanyi said this on Monday in Enugu at the public presentation of a book entitled: “Effective Policing and Security in South-East Nigeria’’.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the book, which has three major parts, was written by retired Deputy Inspector-General of Police IDIG), Dr Celestine Okoye.
The governor, who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Simon Ortuanya, said security had remained his administration’s the primary concern.
He said that the enormous investment in the area of security had led to the pervading peace and tranquility in all the nooks and crannies of the state.
According to him, Enugu is the first state to implement the ‘Forest Guard’ after the decision to set-up the outfit was reached by the South-East Governors’ Forum.
The governor also said that the state was the first in the zone to set-up Community Policing Committee.
He said: “As a government, we take provision of security very seriously, as every responsible government will do.
“In 2018, a study by the Nigeria Police Force declared Enugu as the safest and most secured state in the country.
“This has helped to uplift the socio-economic status of the state by moving our position in the ease of doing business to fifth in the country.
“It has also helped us to digitalised our economy and operated the treasury single account (TSA) to ensure financial prudence”.
The Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr Ahmad Abdurrahman, said that aside the book being about effective policing in the South-East zone, it would go long way in providing security solution to the entire country and Africa at large.
“The author, being someone who had got years of experience and tour of duty as a police officer within and outside the country, had put down a book to help fight insecurity in its entirety within Africa.
“The book gave practical and real-time approach on how security challenges can be collectively fought, with result achieved,’’ Abdurrahman said.
The police commissioner also lauded Okoye for the intellectual work and for putting down his experience and thought for others to learn from.
The Reviewer, Prof. Charles Ogbologu, represented by Dr Alphonsus Ihenacho, said that the 14-chapter book expressed the various concerns of the people of the zone as regards the current security challenge.
“The book under review gives an overview of the security situation and how to use community policing and modern technology as well as gadgets to fight insecurity in the zone.
“The book also educated the citizens on their responsibilities for effective policing and what they can do to contribute to security, peace and progress of their communities,’’ he said.
Speaking at the occasion, Okoye described the book as a child of necessity.
“If we sincerely love ourselves, I believe that there would be no insecurity in the first place.
“When you go through this book, you will know a lot concerning insecurity, even the one happening in your kitchen,’’ he said. (NAN)
