Governor Okowa

Okafor Ofiebor/Port Harcourt

Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State has said the bill setting up vigilante groups would be amended to ensure fruitful partnership with security agencies towards a crime-free society.

He dropped the hint today February 22, in Asaba when Umutu Community, led by the Onochieze of Umutu, Chief Abel Okonye, paid him a ‘thank you’ visit for appointing one of their sons, Hon. Ochor Chris Ochor as an Executive Director in the Board of the Delta State Oil Producing Area Development Commission (DESOPADEC).

According to the Governor, a peaceful society was very vital for development to thrive, adding that investors can only come to the state if it is a safe haven for their activities.

“I want to use this medium to say, that our communities must find ways of partnering with the government to ensure peace and security in our various local government areas and to that extent, we expect that they put processes in place to have well-coordinated vigilante groups that are responsive in such a manner that they partner with the Police because, the combination of the Police and the vigilante groups will definitely help us to achieve greater peace in our various communities,” he said, disclosing, “on our part, we will try to rework the law that establishes the vigilante groups because the level of insecurity nationally is high now and we believe that there is the need to officially recognize the vigilante groups in such a way that they can partner with government and security agencies in neighbourhood watch.”

He added, “we count on your (communities in the state) cooperation in doing this and we will very shortly take some actions that will enable us reach out to the communities to let them know exactly what will be expected of them; I know that most communities in the state already have established vigilante groups but we want them to function in partnership with the Police.”

The Governor stated that his administration would not relent in its desire to equip the youths with necessary skills to be self-sufficient and become employers of labour.

To Governor Okowa, “we will encourage the development of skill acquisition centres because when put to use, it will fit into our programmes of ensuring that people acquire the right skills to fend for themselves and contribute to the development of the state.”

“The more the youths fend for themselves, the more they are the employers of labour; we will not shy away from continually training our youths to become entrepreneurs, we are equipping our technical schools for our youths to acquire desired skills,” he added.

In an address read on behalf of the community, the member representing Ukwuani Constituency in the Delta State House of Assembly, Hon. Alphonsus Ojo said, “our visit is anchored principally on your benevolence in appointing our illustrious son, Hon. Ochor Christopher Ochor into the exalted office of Executive Director, Social Services on the Board of DESOPADEC; we affirm our support to your government and your wish for the transformation of our state, as envisioned in your S.M.A.R.T. agenda.”