Gov. Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom has decried the spate of vandalism of public facilities in the state, especially transformers.
Eno said this when he received the new Commissioner of Police (CP) for the state, Mr Baba Azare, who paid him courtesy visit on Tuesday in Uyo.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that similarly in the nation’s capital, Abuja, there has been recent outcry over vandalism of manhole covers on highways.
No fewer than 50 suspects have been detained by the police for prosecution over the incidents.
The governor said that it costs government lots of resources to replace vandalised infrastructure, while the act also hindered rural development.
He assured the new CP of his government’s support to enable him combat crime as well as maintain peace and security in the state.
The governor said that the state government had always maintained a robust and good working relationship with security agencies in the state.
Eno expressed satisfaction with the choice of Azare as the new CP, having served previously in the state as a Deputy Commissioner (Operations).
He added that government intends to ensure that each village has at least one security operative, who would serve as an eye for the Nigeria Police.
“For community policing, you are aware of the Ibom Community Watch.
“We are raising them to enhance community policing and we trust that they will continue to do the work by giving you adequate information.
“Currently, we are trying to ensure that there is at least one in every village, so that they can help particularly to monitor government facilities in those villages.
“So, we look forward to that continuous and symbiotic relationship with the leadership of the Nigeria Police, as we continue to serve the Akwa Ibom people,” Eno said.
Earlier, Azare appreciated the governor for his support for security agencies in the state.
The CP said that he would collaborate with other security agencies to ensure peace and security in Akwa Ibom