DELTA State Governor, Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan has expressed confidence in the ability of security operatives to tackle security challenges rather than civilians who were not trained in the act of providing security.
Speaking when the newly posted Commissioner of Police to Delta State, Mr Alkali Baba Usman paid him a courtesy visit at Government House, Asaba, Dr. Uduaghan also decried the use of civilians in the management of security issues.
“We have refused to encourage civilian security outfits like Bakassi Boys and others because we believe the Police and other security agencies are capable of handling security challenges,” Dr Uduaghan told the CP who was accompanied by some heads of other security agencies in the state on the visit.
He reiterated that conventional security operatives have the ability to tackle any security challenge and added that secret cult activities have been banned in the state.
Buttressing why more than 40 identified secret cult groups were banned, Dr Uduaghan observed that it was sad that the cult groups have infiltrated secondary schools and communities, asserting that the activities of the secret cult groups poses security threat.
The Governor also used the opportunity to state that ahead of the 2015 general elections, it was good that politicians in the state were conducting their businesses peacefully and lawfully as well as accommodating to people with divergent views, but, appealed to the Commissioner of Police and Security agencies not to fail in their duty if any politician was caught engaging in acts capable of breaching the peace.
“We are determined to enthrone peaceful elections in Delta State … If we fall out of line, do not hesitate to whip us back to line”, he stated and advised the new CP to collaborate with other security agencies within and outside Delta State to enable him achieve the desired results.
While noting that criminals, especially, kidnappers have no boundary in their scope of operations, Governor Uduaghan assured CP Usman and other security agencies working in the state of regular assistance from his administration to enable them carry out their functions effectively.
Earlier, Mr Usman told the Governor and members of the state executive council that he was posted to Delta State to consolidate on the existing peace, asserting that with what the Dr Uduaghan’s administration has provided for the effective Policing of the state, success was inevitable.
“I have come to Delta State to serve the government and the people, I have served in more than eleven states of the country and I have not seen this type of structure that has been put in place in Delta State, in any of those states. So, we have no reason to fail in the area of providing security in this state,” the Commissioner stated, adding, “I am ready to take all advice, all criticism to enable the people of Delta State sleep with their two eyes closed.”
In the same vein, Governor Uduaghan has commended the security operatives in the state for being proactive and making the state one of the safest in the country, noting that kidnapping and armed robbery which resulted from the activities of militants, have greatly reduced.
Uduaghan spoke at an enlarged security and health meeting involving leaders of different security agencies, traditional rulers, chairmen of local government councils and religious leaders in the state. The meeting was held at Government House, Asaba.
“On the issue of security, we had our Niger Delta crisis which with working with the Federal Government, was solved but, with that, we had an increase in other crimes like, armed robbery, kidnapping, pipeline vandalism,” the Governor disclosed, asserting, “there is a lot of improvement now and we are still working to exterminate kidnapping totally from our state.”
He used the occasion to assert that the state will only be safe for peaceful people who have genuine reasons to be in the state, stressing: “If you come to Delta, you must live peacefully with those you meet, it is not acceptable for you to come and be causing trouble or forcefully take over peoples’ properties.”
“Such properties that are occupied by people who are not supposed to occupy them are not acceptable, except a landlord gives you permission to take over that property. Please know that might is not right in Delta State.”
He used the occasion to thank security operatives for bringing to a halt the crisis between Iselegu and Ibabu Communities in Ndokwa East and Ndokwa West local government areas of the state respectively.
He assured that a Commission of Inquiry would be set up to provide lasting solution to the communities which have been at war for more than a decade.
