The plan of state governors to set up a regional security outfit in the South-East region suffered setbacks on Wednesday.
The governors had moved to form a regional security outfit just like their South-West counterparts did but the intervention of the Inspector General of Police, Adamu Mohammed, has scattered the plan.
They now prefer the community policing initiative of the Federal Government, saying there are satisfied as it was the same as what they wanted setting up.
The new position of the governors was the outcome of a security meeting they had with the police boss in Enugu.
“We reached a satisfactory and acceptable decision and agreement,” David Umahi, the Ebonyi State governor and chairman of the South-East Governors Forum said at the end of the meeting.
“The IG’s presentation was not different from our neighbourhood watch, our vigilante operation and forests guard, the herdsmen and farmers peace community among others.
“When we saw that this is totally in tandem with what we are doing, we decided as your governors to embrace the initiative of community policing,” Umahi added.
But protesting against the decision of the governors, the president of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Nnia Nwodo, opted for the formation of regional security like it is obtained in the South-West.
“Mr IGP, our farms have been devastated and the herders that devastated our farms carry AK-47 rifles,” Mr Nwodo said.
“You cannot be talking about community policing when the people you want to supervise, you do not understand their language.
“Your legal architecture doesn’t take into consideration that our governors, by the constitution, are the chief security officers of their various states, and this gives them the responsibility to protect the lives and property of their citizens.
“So when you begin to talk about recruitment, with the commander and control, and you do not share with the governors and representatives at the local areas this command and control and recruitment, this exercise is dead on arrival,” the Ohanaeze official added.
