Gov Bello charges 441 Kogi constabulary officers on crime prevention »

Kogi State Governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello has charged the 441 state constabulary security just commissioned on Saturday on the need to work assiduously to help in crime prevention in the state.

He stated this shortly after reviewing the police match to commission the officers recruitted from the entire Local Government Areas of the state.

The Governor said his administration would continue to give necessary support to the security sector in the state and warned the officers not to allow themselves to be used to exacerbate security situation in the state.

He urged them to use the opportunity given by his administration to make their communities, their Local Government Area and the state proud through dedication and commitment to duty, stressing that his government would evolve ways through which the best secured Council would be rewarded.

The Kogi Governor, who expressed gratitude to President Muhammadu Buhari, the Inspector General of the Police, Muhammed Abubakar, the State Police Commissioner, Ayuba Edeh and other stakeholders in the sector for their support and cooperation, adding that it made the process possible.

Governor Bello urged the need for unity among security agencies in the state, and called on the constabulary officers to work in harmon with the police and other bodies to enhance their productivity.

He then promised that he would always come up with avenues through which they could get regular training and retraining to ensure they are equipped with tools necessary to help them secure the society better.

In his opening address, the State Security Adviser, Navy Commander Jerry Omodara (Rtd) described the event as a milestone, adding that the constabulary officers have been trained to strengthen the state security architecture.

The trained officers, he noted, would be sent to the hinterlands in all parts of the state where they would work with Divisional Police Officers and improve security of lives and property in the state.

He applauded the decision of the National Council for Women Society (NCWS) to give the Governor an award was well deserved in view of his decision to always involve them in his policies and programmes which informed the decision to have 40 of 441 Constabulary Officers being female.

21 persons each from the 21 Local Government Areas of the state have been recruited and trained for the constabulary officers job, which the SSA said was Governor Bello making a delicious meal which other states of the federation would like to taste from.

Commander Omodara who thanked Chairmen of Local Government Areas in the state for their support towards the programme, equally expressed gratitude to the Divisional Police Officers in the state for the support they have given the state on the project.

On his part, the State Police Commissioner, Ayuba Edeh had described the constabulary officers programme as a state policing policy of the federal government and thanked the state government under Governor Bello for taking special interest in it.

He said it was the interest that gave the Governor impetus to add five extra persons to the programme which has help increase the number in the state.