Governor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom State has frowned at the spate of vandalism of public facilities in the state, particularly electricity transformers.
Governor Eno stated this when the new police commissioner in Akwa Ibom visited him at Government House.
Mr Eno said that besides the huge costs the government bears in replacing them, it also hinders rural development, a major focal point of his administration after agriculture.
In a statement published on Facebook on Monday, the governor’s spokesperson, Ekerete Udoh, said the governor stated this in Government House, Uyo, when the new Commissioner of Police in the state, Baba Azare, paid him a courtesy visit.
Mr Eno assured the new police chief of his continuous support to security agencies in the state to enhance peace and development.
The governor said having served in Akwa Ibom before as deputy commissioner of police in charge of operations, Mr Azare understands the terrain and security situation in the state.
He told the new police commissioner of the government’s intention to ensure at least one security operative per village to serve as an eye to the police.
“For community policing, you are aware of the Ibom Community Watch. We are raising them to enhance community policing and we trust that they will continue to do the work by giving you adequate information.
“Currently, we are trying to ensure that there is at least one in every village so that they can help particularly to monitor government facilities in those villages,” he said.
Mr Azare assumed duty as the 34th commissioner of police in the state on Saturday, Timfon John, the police spokesperson in the state, said.
He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Mass Communication from Bayero University, Kano, a Master’s degree in Public Policy and Administration and another Master’s degree in Crime Management, Prevention and Control, from the same Institution.
Before his promotion and posting to the state as police commissioner, Mr Azare served in several departments in the Nigeria Police including as a Detective in General Investigation Section of the Criminal Investigation Department (State CID) Kano, and later in the Anti-Fraud Section of the same Department of the Command.
