Magnus Eze, Enugu
Following the inauguration of a five-man Joint Security Committee set up by the South East governors, during their last meeting in Enugu, Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State, has approved the appointment of the former Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG), Mr. Aloysius Okorie as a member of the committee.
In a statement by the Secretary to the Enugu State Government, Prof. Simon Uchenna Ortuanya, Mr. Okorie replaces the retired Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mr. Ogbonna Onovo, who was recently appointed as Security Consultant to the state government.
The statement added that the change became necessary to enable Mr. Onovo, who served as Chairman of Security Ad-hoc Committee, constituted by Gov. Ugwuanyi, alongside 11 other committees for the reform of the state’s Public Service, ample time for the implementation of the committee’s recommendations.
Other members of the South East Joint Security Committee, to be located in Enugu State, include, Maj. Gen. Abel Obi Umahi Rtd., (Chairman), Capt. Awa Agwu (Rtd.), CP Ikechukwu Aduba (Rtd.) and Mr. Raymond Nkemdirim.
Okorie’s appointment, according to the statement, takes effect from September 2, 2019.
Meanwhile, esidents of Enugu, including prominent indigenes believe that the barrage of security breaches witnessed in the state recently, was a product of well knitted conspiracy to descredit Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi.
According to the President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief Nnia Nwodo, some detractors of the governor were bent on rubbishing the peaceful nature of Enugu as witnessed especially since 2015, when the governor assumed duties.
In a recent statement condemning the brutal murder of a 67-year-old woman, Mrs. Regina Mba, on her way from the farm, by yet to be identified persons at Nchatancha Nike, in Enugu East Local Government Area, Nwodo decried the growing tendency of some detractors of the state government to destabilise the peace and tranquillity in the state. According to his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Chief Emeka Attamah, the President General enjoined the state government not to be distracted by enemies of progress, but to continue to carry out measures it has put in place to secure lives and property in the state.
He also called on security agencies to apprehend the hoodlums who were making the state insecure through incessant kidnappings and killings.
Former governor of the state and senator representing Enugu East, Dr. Chimaroke Nnamani and the House of Representatives member for Nsukka/Igbo-Eze South Federal Constituency, Dr. Patrick Asadu, have also heaped the blame on the door step of government detractors. They also applauded some of Governor Ugwuanyi’s moves to improve security in the state, describing them as proactive and strategic.
Findings have however, shown that the attacks had come mainly from people suspected to be Fulani herdsmen.
Meanwhile, the regional security arrangement by the South East Governors’ Forum, last weekend, appeare to be the antidote to the spate of insecurity in the zone. The governors, at their expanded meeting inaugurated a joint security committee with command control in Enugu and headed by retired Major General Obi Umahi, with former Inspector General of Police Ogbonnaya Onovo, Capt. Awa Agwu (Rtd), Commissioner of Police Ikechukwu Aduba (Rtd) and Mr. Ray Nkemdirim, as members.