BY NATIONAL PANEL REPORTERS
Chairman, South East Governors' Forum and Governor of Ebonyi, Engineer David Umahi on Wednesday at Pa Ngele Oruta Township Stadium in Abakaliki inaugurated the trained and satisfied corps members of the Ebubeagu Eastern Security of the state chapter.
He asked the men of Ebubeagu Security outfit to be operating under the directives of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), assuring that they would not become an Alternate Police in the state..
Umahi said the inauguration of the Ebubeagu Security outfit was the fulfilment to the call by the South East people to have their local security formation in uniformity.
The governor disclosed that the initiation of the Ebubeagu Security came after brainstorming with the South East stakeholders for its formation by Rtd General Obi Umahi, whom he said, performed gallantly in carrying out their tasks with other members of the committee before bowing out.
"I can say over 60 percent of the governors have accepted the Ebubeagu law. Ebonyi State was second to do this, after Imo State, and this is in accordance with the Law on Ebubeagu passed by the State House of Assembly. Let me say that what we are doing here is very lawful and will continue to be for the benefit of our people," he said.
He commended the governors of the South East zone, the leadership of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, religion leaders, traditional rulers, the political class and the youths for their cooperation.
He further commended the handlers, especially the Commissioner of Police in Ebonyi, CP Aliyu Garba, with all his officers for the efforts made towards the security architecture in the state and for accepting the inaugurated Ebubeagu men to be assisting them in delivering their services to the society.
He challenged the State Attorney General, Barr Cletus Ofoke and the handlers of the security outfit to expand the law on Ebubeagu to include their promotions, a great measure for their welfare, performance, dedication and commitment, making it an employment opportunity and pensionable for people.
In his observation, "everybody will die one day so nobody is afraid of speaking of death. But the likely events of anyone being called in active service, we have to make provisions, to assist the family, and for the burials.
"So, I pledge in 2022, we make this outfit an employable outfit, an enviable outfit, for other people that are seeking for employment. We will pay you what a graduate in a Grade Level (GL) 12 cannot get.
"Let me say that Section 7(7) of the Law says that the function of Ebubeagu is to assist the police, and other security agencies in carrying out lawful activities and orders in the state," he added.
He noted that the subsections (1 & 8) of the Law on Ebubeagu in the state focused on the corps' function, which is to assist the Police and other security agencies and maintained that the newly inaugurated security outfit would not become an "Alternate Police."
"Let me say that this is not an Alternate Police, but this outfit is totally under tutulage, supervision, monitoring, directives and obedient to the Police Force.
"There shall be no altercation, no superiority, fight and you are told here by the Chief Security Officer, which is me, that you are under the Police Force. Anybody who doesn't like it and wants to do otherwise should bow out, because this is what our law says. We will neither fight nor disagree with the Police but to obey all the lawful orders of the Commissioner of Police.
"Section 8(12) says the agency in the course of carrying its duties, shall safeguard the human rights of person in line with the Constitution.
"Let say the outfit is not politically motivated, but those who have been sponsoring insecurity in the state and who are afraid of the outfit can go to Court to challenge the Law as this outfit will never be disbanded.
"However, just like in any organization where human beings are involved, there shall be some excesseses and to checkmate these, we have the Provost appointed by the Command, and the public will feel free to send their complains of any infringement on their rights.
"There is nothing to be afraid of, because we will also work together with the State House of Assembly by setting up a committee that will be working with the Provost of this Ebubeagu," he said.
Umahi said that the synergy between Ebubeagu and Police officers in Ebonyi was one of the major forces behind the reduction of security threats to the barest minimal in the state.
Earlier in his speech, the Permanent Secretary in the State Ministry of Internal Security, Border Peace and Conflict Resolution, Mr Ogbonnia Otah disclosed that over 1,870 corps members of the Ebubeagu Eastern Security would be inaugurated, saying the state expected over 6,000 corps to be enrolled according to the Law.
