Pix of Abia State Commissioner for Information and information and Culture, Prince Okey Kanu
Abia tightens security in schools to curb vandalism, links communities to national grid
From Boniface Okoro, Umuahia
Abia State government has deployed operatives of its Homeland Security to all schools in the state to improve security in the school environment.
Commissioner for Information and Culture, Prince Okey Kanu, who disclosed this while briefing newsmen on the outcome of this week’s State Executive Council meeting, also announced that this month’s environmental sanitation exercise has been cancelled.
The state government recently raised the alarm concerning the spate of theft and vandalism of property in schools across the state. Kanu lamented that the development negates the schools remodeling efforts of government which was gulping a lot of money.
To curb the trend, he said the EXCO resolved to tighten security in schools across the state by deploying personnel of homeland security to provide round-the-clock services in the schools.
“The state government has gone a step further to secure both the life of our students and the assets in the educational sector to stop further vandalism of school assets.
“And to that effect, His Excellency has directed the Special Adviser on Homeland Security to work together with the Ministry of Education to ensure that all our schools have Homeland personnel guarding them. So, it is not just something they do in the day when the students are there, they will work round the clock guarding the schools to ensure that the huge sums that the government is committing to funding the educational sector does not just fritter away,” the Commissioner said.
On the Light Up Initiative aimed at improving public power supply across the state, Kanu disclosed that the programme has been extended to Abia State University, Uturu.
“The Light up Abia Initiative has been birthed in Abia State University to ensure the security of both the students and staff of the university and this applies to the recently commissioned JAAC building (in Umuahia) which has been lit up as well.
“There is a move to strengthen this initiative in the communities outside of the state capital and our metropolis. So, to that effect, some communities have been linked up to the 33 KVA line. Some parts of Arochukwu and Isieketa in Aba have been connected to the 33 KVA line and this is something that will go round the state,” he said.
He explained that this month’s environmental sanitation exercise due on Saturday, July 27, has been cancelled as the Governor was billed to inaugurate projects executed by the Mayor of Arochukwu local government area that day.
“On Saturday, the 27th of July, His Excellency would be in Arochukwu to commission some projects executed by the Mayor of Arochukwu LGA, Chief Joe Ezearu. Ordinarily, the projects would have been commissioned during the one year anniversary of this administration but for certain unforeseen circumstances that stalled the commissioning of these projects. So, they are now up for commissioning by His Excellency.
“Given the distance of Umuahia and Aba to Arochukwu and the fact that people need to be there on time, the state government has cancelled this month’s environmental sanitation exercise to allow people to move freely or travel down to Arochukwu to accompany the Governor to commission those projects,” Prince Kanu said.
