…Declares open 4-day workshop for Police Spokespersons

By Chris Ugwuja, Nsukka

Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State, on Tuesday, said that one of the reasons Enugu is among the safest and most secured states in Nigeria, was because of his administration’s continued support towards the development of security infrastructure in the state.

Gov. Ugwuanyi, who disclosed that security provision has been a major plank of his administration, added that the state government has established and resourced the Enugu State Forest Guard Security outfit as well as the Neighborhood Watch groups and went further to legislate the State Security Trust Fund to provide adequate resources for maintenance of security of lives and property.

Declaring open the 4-day Intensive Capacity Building Workshop for all Police Spokespersons in Nigeria, holding in Enugu, with the theme: “Crisis Management and Law Enforcement; the Role of Police Spokespersons”, the governor stated that the event was timely and momentous.

He commended the Inspector General of Police, IGP Mohammed Abubakar Adamu, who was present at the event, for the initiative and other on-going reforms aimed at addressing the agitations of the Nigerian people for a Police Force that is people-friendly, more professional, accountable, and respects the rights and freedoms of the citizenry.

Stressing that the workshop could not have come at a better time than now, “given the recent #EndSARS protests with its accompanying mayhem, as well as other spikes in criminality”, Gov. Ugwuanyi pointed out that the lesson of the protests with the manifest mistrust and yawning communication gap between the police and the policed, compels a new paradigm for citizen engagement and robust communication strategies to build mutual trust and confidence as well as facilitate the healing of all wounds.

“In enthroning this veritable panacea, the role of the Police Spokespersons in leading the discourse and inspiring new ideas will be key”, the governor said, revealing that the hosting of the workshop was in keeping with his administration’s tradition of supporting worthy causes, especially those bordering on security of lives and property of the people of Enugu State as enshrined in the nation’s constitution.

He, therefore, urged the participants to optimize this opportunity to network, review and cross-fertilize ideas with the experts to sharpen and broaden their public relations knowledge and skills for enhanced service delivery to the Police Force in particular and the nation in general.

In his address, the Inspector General of Police, IGP Adamu, appreciated Gov. Ugwuanyi for hosting and sponsoring the workshop, stressing that it was a demonstration of the governor’s commitment to security issues in the state and the country at large.

Members of the Police Management Team and Senior Police Officers at the event include the Deputy Inspector General of Police, DIG Celestine Okoye, the Assistant Inspector General of Police in-Charge of Zone 13, AIG Mohammed Danmallam, and the Assistant Inspector General of Police, in-Charge of Force CID Annex, Enugu, AIG Fimihan Adeoye.

Others include the Commissioner of Police, Enugu State Command, CP Ahmad AbdulRahman, his Anambra State counterpart, CP Danladi Lalas, the President and Chairman, Council of Nigeria Institute of Public Relations, Malam Mukhtar Zubairu Sirajo, the Force Public Relations Officer, DCP Frank Mba and Police Public Relations Officers of various Zonal and State Commands, among others.