• Army commits to peace, security in South-East
One of the contenders for the November 8 governorship poll in Anambra State and tech investor, John Chuma Nwosu (JCN), has expressed dismay that some governors in the South-East are indifferent to the insecurity in the region.
Nwosu said that he expected the state chief executives to have serious concern and empathy towards threats to life and property as well as devastation of the region’s economy by adopting a holistic approach to addressing the menace.
In an interview with The Guardian, Nwosu explained that the complex mix of transportation, energy provision and technology presupposes a strategic collaboration to provide security.
He said he was alarmed to discover that the Chinua Achebe Cargo Airport in Anambra State does not have a closed-circuit television, stressing that some of the bad people behind insecurity may be coming into the state through the airport with arms and ammunition.
While also pointing out that energy plays a crucial role in the provision of security, Nwosu, who is also the Chairman of Jetlinks Technologies, noted: “If you light up the state, 50 per cent of the security challenges will be contained.”
He added that the major freeways or express roads in the South-East states are supposed to have functional CCTV cameras, stressing that collectively or individually all the states in the region could pursue power generation projects.
His words: “It is unbelievable that our Airport-Chinua Achebe Cargo Airport, the only airport we have in the state, has no CCTV. So, we don’t know who comes in and who goes out. The people we are fighting may be coming in through that with ammunition and going away.
MEANWHILE, the Nigerian Army has said that it would work in close collaboration with civil authorities to ensure peace and security across Enugu State and the entire South-East.
A statement by the Acting Deputy Director 82 Division Army Public Relations, Enugu, Lieut. Col Jonah Unuakhalu, yesterday, said that the army was committed to the safety and security of all citizens and would not shy away from it.
Unuakhalu was reacting to reports of protest over the discovery of a live explosive device on farmland in Igbo-Etiti Local Council of Enugu. Unuakhalu said: “The attention of Headquarters 82 Division, Nigerian Army, has been drawn to recent reports in certain mainstream and online media platforms.”
“It is pertinent to state that the reports are unsubstantiated, misleading, and lack any credible verification. Preliminary findings indicate that no such protest occurred, and the narrative appears to be designed to incite unwarranted fear and tension within Ochima and adjoining communities in the Udi Local Council of Enugu State.
