Alleged Security Breach, Comptroller Of Prisons To Attend Delta State Security Council Meeting
Delta State Comptroller of Prisons will appear before the Delta State Security Council over allegations of Prison inmates having access to telephones, the state Governor, Senator Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa has said.
Governor Okowa dropped the hint yesterday (23/05/16) while fielding questions from Journalists at a Press Briefing as part of activities to mark this year’s Democracy Day celebration.
The Governor was pointedly asked what his administration was doing to curb issues of Prisoners using telephones to give directives to their gang members about what to do and the Governor disclosed that such issue has come to the knowledge of members of the state security council which has led to the invitation of the Comptroller of Prisons to attend the State Security Council meeting.
According to the Governor, “I got to know about the situation about a week ago, I had to find out from the Commissioner of Police and he has confirmed that some kidnappings which has occurred was controlled by some individuals in the Prison and we intend to invite the controller of Prisons in our next security meeting because we need to know why that is happening and why it is being allowed because it is a very dangerous trend and it is not the best for our security.”
He stated that his administration does not handle the issue of security with kids gloves, disclosing that on assumption of office, a 41-member Delta State Peace Building and Advisory Council comprising men and women of proven integrity and exemplary character were inaugurated and they meet regularly “and has been very active in working to implement policies and programmes to increase public safety in Delta State,” adding, “our strategy is to strengthen, sustain and create the institutions and structures that enable peaceful co-existence among diverse ethnic groups and communities; we are committed to seeing that our cities, towns and communities become places where people feel safe to work, live and do business.”
“In collaboration with the Council, the State Government organised a well-attended One-Day Stakeholders Summit on “Vandalisation of Oil and Gas Facilities” on Wednesday, January 31, 2016, at the Petroleum Training Institute Conference Centre in Effurun, Warri and in attendance were representatives of the oil companies, community leaders, labour leaders, human rights group as well as various youth and grassroots organisations,” he said, adding, “currently, an Advocacy Peace Committee headed by His Excellency, the Deputy Governor, has been traversing the length and breadth of our riverine communities holding talks with traditional rulers, community and youth leaders on the need for peace in the region; we are confident of positive outcomes from these interactions.”
On the issue of menace of Fulani herdsmen, the Governor disclosed that his administration has taken proactive measures to curb the menace, stating, “we have been talking about it at the national level; also at the state level a committee has been set up which is made up of the SSG, Police, SSS, Civil Defence, our communities and some Fulani leaders because, we want to ensure that there is an identification of the herdsmen groups that we have in our localities and to create an interface between them and our communities so that together the communities and the herdsmen can work to identify the criminal elements and ensure that those criminals are made to face the law; we have gone to the extent of appointing a Special Adviser on the Fulani herdsmen who has been helping us to reach out to the various groups in the state, even to the leadership of the Fulanis that bring in these cattle to the state”.