South East Governors to roll out unified security outfit soon

South East governors will soon roll out operational vehicles and uniforms for the region’s joint security outfit to tackle the rising insecurity in the zone.

Chairman, South East Governors’ Forum and governor of Ebonyi State, Chief David Umahi, stated this on Tuesday while briefing journalists at his Uburu country home in Ohaozara Local Government Area of the state.

He said governors of the zone would later agree on the name for the outfit.

Ahead of that, about three hundred soldiers had been deployed to Ebonyi State following persistent killings in the state with three policemen killed, a police station, and some operational vehicles burnt when gunmen invaded Onueke police station in Ezaa South Local Government Area of the state.

Umahi noted that the governors had arranged for training and retraining of the zone’s security outfit to ensure adequate protection of lives and property in the zone.

 “The South East governors have had a series of meetings on security.

“We are presently circulating samples of uniforms which are going to be common for the entire South East, and we are also on display of vehicles which will also be common for the entire South East.

“We have arranged for the training and retraining of all the security outfits of the governors to ensure adequate protection of lives and property within the South East.

 “And so, in the few weeks to come, we are going to roll out these uniforms and vehicles to further deepen our efforts in security architecture in the entire South East.

“The security outfit for the South East is going to have one name and the name for the security outfit for the South East is not going to come from me alone.

“The governors and leaders of the South East will meet and they will come up with a name.

“The most critical is the vehicles, the uniforms. The name will not be a problem; it won’t be,” Umahi said.

 He described the killing of three policemen in Onueke police station last weekend as unfortunate and terrible and vowed that their killers must be brought to book.

The governor disclosed that about three hundred soldiers had been deployed to the state and that 150 of them had already arrived and were being deployed.

He added: “The Onueke killing was so unfortunate and so terrible but I will not divulge the measures we have taken but they are more security agencies that have been posted to Ebonyi, like in the south here, we are looking at about 270 soldiers in what is called a super camp.

“I think about 120 of the soldiers have arrived, we are having close to 300 women soldiers in Abakaliki, I think about 150 have arrived and are being deployed.

“We are going to deploy other measures to tackle the security situation, the difference is going to be very clear and you will see what happens in the weeks ahead.

“I was told by the CP that he has been redeployed to the headquarters.

“So, we are expecting a new CP in the state. Everybody comes with his or her own arrangement; so, let’s hope that the new CP coming is going to inject his ingenuity into solving our problem.”  (Daily Independent)