It is seldom the case for governors to be seen plodding through forests in sweltering heat alongside armed security operatives on the trail of criminal gangs. But that has more or less been a regular itinerary for Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi in the wake of a sudden spike in criminality in Enugu state.
The sudden spike has resulted in the fatal shooting of some policemen and soldiers, putting residents of the state long acknowledged as one of the most secure on edge. Although this disturbing trend is occurring against a backdrop of generally worsening insecurity across the country, the situation through the lens of inevitability.
This mindset underlines his prompt visit to scenes of these ugly incidents, and several other forest-stranddling communities identified as locations prone to attacks. He has used such visit to rally proactive actions against potential reoccurrence, lift the officer's morale, inspire their confidence in the communities, and encourage them to offer information to security agencies especially with regard to criminal gangs hiding in surrender forests.
A long spell of peace and security often trends to create a false sense of assurance that ultimately results in complacency. But not so for Governor Ugwuanyi. Indeed, long before the recent spate of attacks, the governor had embraced the maxim that it is always expedient to take actions to curb possible future security breach even when the risk of one occurring seems minimal. His administration's procurement and donation of 360 patrol vehicles (100 SUV trucks procured by Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing company and 260 sundry vehicles comprising wagon style saloon cars and buses) to the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps was premised on this belif.
The recruitment of 1700 forest guards and strengthening of the Neighborhood Watch with additional vigilantes was further testament to that. The employment spread across the various wards of the 17 local government areas of the state is consistent with the community-based approach to crime-fighting, the governor has adopted.
The benefits of such proactive curbs might never be known entirely due to security agencies's predilection for secrecy. But the fairly tolerable security situation in Enugu compared to other states is a positive indicator, especially given the huge social burden that comes with its status as the political heartland of the southeast, and the attraction it holds for the Igbo political elite, who either resides in or at least has a home in the city.
It has to be stated though that there is an ironic sub-text to the relationship between governors in the federation and security agencies. The many flak that governors get from the public when the security situation go awry is often predicated on the notional precept that regards them as "chief security officers" of their states. But that is not the case in reality. It doesn't matter that a substantial financial burden of the logistical needs of the country's various security agencies are borne by governors.
The cost implication of bearing a burden that is unambiguously federal is mind-blowing. But rather than be outraged by this anomaly, the Enugu state governor had always found vindication in the outcome, which is the fact that Enugu is often acknowledged as one of the most secure and peaceful states in the country. Even when the outcome is at variance with when the support given to security agencies to enhance their logistical efficiency as it is at present, Governor Ugwuanyi still views it as some painful but necessary contribution towards boosting security operatives 'capacity and improving the state's general security. That is the image he is keen on maintaining; not merely for the many adulation it draws, but driven rather by the knowledge that a well-executed state is a necessary precondition for the actualization of any developmental aspiration.
Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, CON, is never to be blamed for the security mishap in Enugu, but rather the blame should go to state political actors who believes that causing confusion in the polity will enable them achieve their political interests. I therefore call on the people of Enugu state to come out open and support Ugwuanyi's administration in the fight against the insecurity.
Enugu must be peaceful!
