Newsfront Online …Telling the Public as it is
The Nigeria Police Force, ‘C’ Division in the Akwa Ibom State Command at the ‘C’ Divisional headquarters alone Aka Etinan road last weekend organized what is termed as stakeholders/Eminent People’s forum (EPF) in compliance with the directive of the Inspector General of Police, IGP Ibrahim Idris.
Addressing the participants, the Divisional Police Officer (DPO), Mr. Celestine Umeh noted that in compliance with the directive of the Police Boss, IGP Ibrahim Idris whom he described as a man of integrity, his division has to immediately swing into action by commencing the eminent persons within the jurisdiction of the division, “this interface started on the 8th of October, 2016 to engage members of the civil public on the best way of policing the community because most of the members of the community are more experienced in security matters in view of series of trainings within and outside the country”.
Mr.Umeh, a thorough bred, well enlightened, humbled and committed police officer explained that police is not about brutality adding that he did not just gate crashed into police work, but prepared himself academically, physically and in training for the task of policing, “I will always do the right thing to please people and render service to humanity”.
The DPO announced that his division has concluded plans to visit schools within his area of coverage to give talks to students in a bid to curb juvenile delinquency, cultism and violent behavior in a bid to make the environment safer for its dwellers, business owners and indigenes as well. He urged members of the public to have confident in the police and be fully assured that any information given to the police would be treated with strict confidence, “I want to assure you that neither I nor my lieutenants will ever dislodge any information given to us to anybody, we cannot even expose you because we know the security implication”.
He intimated the audience that since his deployment to head the division last year, he swung into action in making the place habitable in filling potholes along Aka Etinan road, which according to him, has caused nuisance to motorists; reworked on the station gate, paint the environment and make the place look decent and neat.
It could be recalled that at the middle of last year, the Inspector General of Police, IGP Ibrahim Idris introduced the Eminent Peoples’ Forum (EPF) and urged all state commands, all divisions and formations to key into the initiative and noted that “the orthodox concepts which regards security as the exclusive preserve of the police and security agencies alone has become obsolete and moribund”. the IGP called on all to support police to help the society, “Security is now the concern of all citizens in the country. Traditional rulers, traders, politicians, captains of industry, retired senior civil servants, retired senior police and military officers, religious associations, market women associations, youth group associations and transporters’ associations are all stakeholders in the renewed security project”.
In his remarks, the Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Akwa Ibom State, Elder Patrick Albert poured encomiums to the DPO describing him as a policeman with creative ideas who decodes vision and implement it for the good of the people, added that since the DPO’s assumption of duty in Division, he has transform the place to wear a new look.
The NUJ boss who was represented at the occasion by the State Auditor of the union, Evang. Saviour Ekpe called on the police to be civil with members of the public, avoid brutality and treat people with cautiousness and respect, which in return would be reciprocated by members of the public. He congratulated the DPO for his elevation to an enviable position and called on members of his team to emulate his resilience, hard work and commitment to duty.
Elder Albert acknowledged the contributions of the police to the protection of lives and property, advised participants and other members of the public to always be at the vanguard of supporting the police by giving useful information to enable the police fish out miscreants and criminally-minded persons from the society.
In his welcome address, the Chairman on the occasion who also is the Village head of Aka Etinan, Chief (Dr.) Iwuk Asian Ebuh eulogizes the DPO for his initiative in calling members of the public to sit in a round table discussion on the way forward towards the security of the community. The Royal father noted with delight that since the inception of the division, Mr. Umeh is the only DPO that called members of the public for such useful interaction.
Chief Ebuh, a second and third republic politician who bagged a chieftaincy title of Obong Ukara Uyo in 1982 challenged other village heads within the area to attached more seriousness to the arrangement of the DPO adding that village heads cannot succeed or function effectively and efficiently in their respective villages without the police, urged them to cooperate with the police.
Also speaking at the event, ASP M Nuhu who represented the Speaker of the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, Barr. Onofiok Luke urged parents to check the activities of their wards with a view to curbing their excesses. He maintained that the idea of police not being confined in barracks was a good one as it helps to check crimes and criminalities, “it is better that the police did not leave in barracks which helps to checkmate crimes in the local communities”.
Eminent personalities attended the event including the former leader of the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, Hon. Dr. Etido Ibekwe. The programme is to be held after every four months.
