The southeast Governors Forum on Wednesday resolved its differences with the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, and reaffirmed its support for community policing in the zone.
Gov. David Umahi of Ebonyi, the forum’s Chairman, disclosed this in Abakaliki while addressing newsmen, after its virtual meeting with the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Adamu Abubakar.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the governors in its meeting on Sunday in Enugu differed with the IG over the practice and composition of the community policing in the zone.
Umahi, who said that the five governors of the zone among other stakeholders were in attendance at the meeting, faulted media reports on the communiqué issued during its last meeting in Enugu on May 24.
“The southeast governors and the zones’ stakeholders were the first to accept community policing because of its beautiful benefits explained to us by the IGP when we met in Enugu.
“We saw that his idea on the issue can assist us but when the state commissioners of police mistakenly constituted the community policing committee themselves and asked us to inaugurate, we felt something was wrong.
“We contacted the IGP that it was not what we discussed and he agreed that the commissioners of police made mistakes.
“The composition was entirely the duty of governors and other stakeholders,” he said.
The forum’s chairman said that after Wednesday’s deliberation, it was resolved that there was no disagreement on community policing at the community level.
“We agreed with the IGP that the various security apparatus at the various LGA and communities should be deployed.
“We should give the police 50 persons per community, whom they will train and they will be the ones to implement the community policing.
“There will also be an advisory committee, consisting of selected stakeholders to be headed by the traditional rulers of the communities,” he said.
He said that at the Local Government Area levels, there would be advisory committees to be headed by the respective chairmen, Divisional Police Officers (DPOs) other heads of security agencies, chairmen of the LGAs and traditional rulers council among others.
“This will be replicated at the state level where you have the governor, heads of security agencies, chairmen of traditional rulers council and interest groups among other stakeholders.
“We agreed that the forum will harmonise all views in line with the agreements reached when next it meets in Enugu for implementation and inauguration,” he said.
Umahi said that each state would pass a law, called the Southeast Security Law, which would be similar and incorporate the community policing, based on the guidelines.
“The southeast security committee has not given us any name for a security outfit but is currently deliberating on such to be presented to us.
“The committee will formulate a name that will be according to the law and the law will be similar among the states,” he said.
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