By Alex Enebeli
The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen. Lucky Irabor, has assured residents of Enugu State of maximum security to move the state forward.
Irabor gave the assurance when he visited the state governor, Mr Peter Mbah in Enugu on Tuesday.
The CDS said he was in Enugu to partner with the state government on internal security enhancements and how to reduce activities of hoodlums in the state.
He noted that activities of hoodlums hindered development of not just Enugu State but the entire South East and the nation in general.
“We have always believed that peace is the fulcrum in which every other activities both human and capital development as well as fiscal infrastructural development is based.
“It is our aspiration and desire to see the end of insecurity across the country especially in the southeast,” he said.
Irabor, who appreciated Gov. Mbah’s move to end insecurity and promote peace in Enugu State, said the governor’s action fell in line with the military’s approach to address the problem.
To achieve this, the CDS said he believed that all the stakeholders and inhabitants of the state should give their support and encouragement to see that criminality became nullity and faded away in no distant time.
“I assure you that all security agencies will give you support in the fight against insecurity in the state as well as ending Monday’s sit-at- in Enugu,” he told Gov. Mbah.
Responding, Gov. Mbah lauded Irabor for honouring their invitation to visit the state, stressing that the state would not take the visit for granted.
He stated that insecurity posed a great challenge to the growth plan and well-being of the people, both psychologically, socially and economically.
The governor explained that the illegal sit-at-home being observed in Enugu State disrupted economic activities in the state and had a negative impact on children whom he said would not compete with their peers due to absence from school on Mondays.
“We believe people have given us mandate and it is only when we do things differently that we can take them to the promised land.
“We have expressed our desire to grow the economy of Enugu State to current level of $4.4 billion to $30 billion of unprecedented growth and that requires tough decisions.
“So we identify hoodlums and other criminal activities as cog in the wheel of our growth plan to Enugu people,” he said.
The stakeholders who were at the event reaffirmed their support and commitment to Gov. Mbah to end insecurity in the state.
Present at the meeting were traditional rulers, clergymen, Local Government Chairmen, market leaders, Nigeria Labour Congress, security agencies, Student Union, Civil Society Organisation and Nigeria Union of Teacher.
Others are the Deputy Governor of Enugu State, Ifeanyi Ossai, Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Chidiebere Onyia. (NAN)
