Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha has commended the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mr. Solomon Arase for changing the face of the Police Force within his short period in office and asked him to sustain the momentum.
Okorocha made the remarks when the Inspector-General on one-day working visit, paid him a courtesy call at Government House, Owerri, on Friday; Governor Okorocha informed the IG that the government and people of the state have been enjoying a very cordial working relationship with the police.
Mr Sam Onwuemeodo, Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, quoted his boss in a statement on Friday explaining that the good relationship the government and people of the state have been enjoying with the police, has helped in reducing crime to the barest minimum in the state, and commended the state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Taiwo Lakanu for doing a good job.
Governor Okorocha told the IG, “The major magic in the fight against crime is in the much-debated state police. We have brought something that is close to the state police which is our Community-Government arrangement, in which the Traditional Rulers are now made the Chief Security Officers of their communities, working with the Police, and with the introduction of Imo Security Network, Imo Community Watch and Imo Civil Guards. All these have helped the Police tremendously.”
He continued, “I have always said that Boko Haram is not more powerful than the natives, but the over-reliance on the central structure to help out in this kind of crisis has made the natives powerless. There is need to empower the locals who know all the routes used by the insurgents. They can easily pinpoint which among their brothers and sisters are criminals, and that would make the work of the security agencies easy.”
His words, “Imo is the fastest growing city in Nigeria now and so, needs more policemen to tackle the inherent challenges. And Imo is also more centralized to house the Zone 9 headquarters than any other place. My government would donate a building if the relocation is given approval.”
On the funding of the police, Governor Okorocha advocated collaboration between the Federal and the state governments to provide the police with their needs to keep security tight in our society.
In his speech, the IG said he was in the state as part of his working tour of states in the Federation to get acquainted with his men instead of sitting in his office and dishing out instructions without feeling the pulse of his men physically, stressing that in the course of such visits he would interact with the traditional rulers, stakeholders and other related bodies on the way forward as it concerns security.
He said he would continue to ensure community partnership policing and that was one of his reasons for reaching out to traditional rulers and stakeholders to assist since the manpower the police has in the states is inadequate to tackle the challenges that are inherent.
He assured that the Nigeria Police Force would continue to give the state the necessary support to help the government to deliver good governance to Imo people, adding that the state must be peaceful and secure to attract direct foreign investors.