Governor of Enugu State, Dr. Peter Mbah, has expressed satisfaction with the successes recorded so far in the fight against insecurity in the state, assuring that Enugu was open and safe for business.
The Governor also said that Enugu had kicked illegal sit-at-home out of the state, assuring that the state’s security initiative, the Distress Response Squad (DRS) and its complementary Command and Control Centre would further secure the state when fully launched in a few weeks.
This was even as the new Commissioner of Police, CP, Enugu State Command, Kanayo Uzuegbu, unveiled the pilot scheme of the government’s DRS initiative, warning criminal elements to repent or meet their waterloo.
Governor Mbah spoke when he received the new CP, who was on both a familiarisation and working visit to the Government House, Enugu, on Tuesday.
He said: “The Distress Response Squad (DRS), which pilot scheme will be commissioned today, is going to house over a hundred very highly sophisticated and technologically equipped vehicles when fully launched.
“We are going to have security surveillance cameras installed in all the vehicles of the DRS. Those security surveillance cameras will have the capability of facial recognition and number plate recognition.
“We are already constructing the Command and Control Centre, which will be ready for commissioning in few weeks. The idea is that we are able to monitor from that location what is going on across our cities and across all the communities in the state.
“We are doing this in partnership with the police and this is a demonstration of the state’s commitment to supporting the police in fighting crime. And I want to assure you that we are going to continue in that trend to ensure that together we rid criminality out of our state”.
Mbah, while also aligning with the new CP’s resolve to rid the state of every criminal element, said the state was investing heavily in technology to prevent and solve crimes, and urged those still inclined to crimes to embrace the new order or be prepared to meet the penalty.
“I align with you completely in informing the criminals that there is no room for them, there is no bush for them, and there is no forest for them to hide in Enugu State. We must continue to make our state secure to attract investors. We are calling on our young people to understand that a venture in criminality is merchandise in doom. They must come out plain, repent, drop their weapons, and allow us to build a state where they will be gainfully employed”, he asserted.
The governor assured the CP of the government’s total support, saying his administration would “provide all the required resources necessary for us to attain a peaceful and fully secure Enugu State”.
Speaking, CP Uzuegbu said he had already noted the various axis and roads in the state challenged by insecurity, and assured the people of their security as he had since gone to work to consolidate on what had been achieved.
“My vision and mission here is to ensure that people here in this state will sleep with their two eyes closed. I know that this is a home of tourism; I want to assure you that visitors who are here for tourism will be safe. I want a state where the people will come here and do their business every day of the week, invest and create job opportunities for our teeming population. I want to have a state where there is a sense of belonging and unity in diversity. This is my motto, my vision and my mission.
“I am a man of war. All perpetrators of all kinds of criminalities should repent of their sin or be ready to meet their Waterloo. I want them to rethink and repent because, under my watch, Enugu State will be very hot for them. I will deal ruthlessly with those who are ruthless to the state. This I can assure you”, he emphasized.
High points of the visit were the commissioning of a number of the DRS vehicles and the decoration of newly promoted police officers.
