Akwa Ibom State Governor, Umo Eno, has engaged 2,277 village youth presidents in his administration’s security management architecture as part of efforts aimed at strengthening security and enhancing peaceful coexistence across the state.
Speaking at a strategic town hall engagement with the village youth presidents held at the Uyo Township Stadium, Uyo, on Sunday, the governor reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to providing a safe and secure environment for citizens.
“While we have done our utmost to ensure that Akwa Ibom State citizens feel safe and live in a peaceful environment, it has become necessary to take additional measures at the local level to widen, deepen and retool the state’s security architecture.
“This idea, therefore, requires that we integrate our village youth presidents, who are strong, dynamic and resident in their various villages, into our security mechanism”, Eno said.
He said the approach would afford the village youth leadership the opportunity to provide security agencies with the necessary intelligence and collaboration for more effective security operations in the state.
He said, “Henceforth, the village youth presidents will now form part of our security architecture. We will provide you with adequate training after your proper profiling, starting from tomorrow, on a local government basis.”
He, however, warned that integrating them into the security architecture did not in any way elevate them above the village leadership structure.
“By integrating you into the security architecture, we are not elevating you above the village leadership structure; you remain part of the structure,” he added.
The governor, who pledged to equip the youths to work with the state Police Command and other security agencies, as well as local government chairmen, directed council chairmen to immediately appoint supervisors in charge of security in their respective local government areas.
He said the supervisors would provide proper coordination for the youth leadership saddled with security responsibilities in their communities and support the village youth presidents in effectively discharging their duties.
Eno disclosed that the new youth security apparatus would be managed by the Ibom Community Watch.
“This move is geared towards ensuring that any noticeable gaps between the police, security agencies and local communities are eliminated, ensuring the free flow of information and actionable intelligence between the local communities and security agencies,” he said.
He charged the youth presidents and other youths across the state to see the initiative as a higher calling that requires patriotism, integrity and dedication.
The governor also urged all security agencies in the state to provide every assistance and necessary training to ensure that the village youth presidents become valuable sources of intelligence gathering and neighbourhood watch activities.
He directed the state Commissioner of Police to expand the Quick Response Squad to cover the state’s 10 federal constituencies and donated 10 brand-new Hilux vehicles to the Police Command to improve security operations across the constituencies.
In his remarks, the member representing Oron Federal Constituency and Chairman of the House Committee on Youth Development, Martins Esin, thanked the governor for incorporating village youth presidents into the state’s governance and security architecture.
He described the initiative as historic, unprecedented and evidence of true democracy.
Esin acknowledged Eno’s strides in youth development and commended him for investing in grassroots development through infrastructure and human empowerment programmes.
Addressing the youths, the Akwa Ibom State Commissioner of Police, CP Baba Azare, thanked the governor for prioritising security in the state.
He acknowledged the strategic role of community leaders in effective security management, describing community participation, intelligence sharing and collective responsibility as the most effective security strategy globally.
Earlier, the Commissioner for Internal Security, retired Brig.-Gen. Koko Essien applauded the governor for taking strategic measures to ensure adequate security in the state.
He described village youth presidents as the right people for the task at the grassroots level, noting that security remains community-based.
Also speaking, the Commissioner for Youth Development, Dr Ekerete Ekanem, commended the governor for his youth-friendly policies, noting that initiatives such as the Ibom Leadership and Entrepreneurial Development Centre (Ibom-LED) and the Dakkada Skills Acquisition Centre (DASAC) have positioned Akwa Ibom youths for self-development.
Speaking on behalf of the Forum of Village Youth Presidents, Itai James Abraham from Ikot Ekpene, flanked by leaders from Uyo and Eket senatorial districts, appreciated the governor for recognising and integrating youths into the governance structure and for other youth-focused initiatives.
He also reassured the governor of the youths’ support for the success of his administration beyond 2027.