Enugu Releases N100m To Vigilante Groups

The Enugu State Executive Council has released N100 million to vigilante groups, popularly called Neighbourhood Watch, the Commissioner for Information, Dr Godwin Udeuhele, has said.
Udeuhele disclosed this in Enugu when he briefed newsmen on the outcome of the council meeting held on Wednesday night. He said that the release of the money followed an earlier approval in 2016 to set aside the sum to equipping the group for optimal performance. He said that the money would be used to purchase touches, batteries, rain boots and other items for the effective operation of the groups.
The commissioner said that the state government could not release the money before now due to clash of interests on how the funds would be disbursed. “This money was approved long ago to buy things like touch, batteries, whistles, rain boots for their jobs, but there was a problem on how to distribute the money. “The traditional rulers as well as the town unions wanted to anchor the distribution. That’s why it was delayed. “We are now going to use the neighbourhood watch structures in the state, local government and ward levels to disburse the money,” he said.
Udeuhele said that the efficiency of the neighbourhood watch groups had significantly improved since the inception of the current administration, adding that they had been well equipped to check crime in different areas.
In another development, Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State, on Friday, paid an unscheduled inspection visit to the state’s Fire Service in Enugu to ascertain its level of preparedness and efficiency to combat inferno.
The unscheduled visit was in a bid to avert fire incident like the one that happened  last week Wednesday night in Onitsha, Anambra State where buildings, vehicles, tricycles, filling stations and other properties were lost.
Gov. Ugwuanyi, who was received and accompanied by the state’s Divisional Fire Officer, Mr Ambrose Okwor, carried out an assessment of the fire-fighting equipment and other facilities in the station.
The governor noted that the visit became imperative in view of the need to ensure that the service was well equipped for any kind of intervention whenever the need arises.
“We are here to make sure that everything is perfectly in order in line with our responsibility to protect the lives and property of the citizenry,’’ he said.
Ugwuanyi, however, made available some funds to the service to ensure that there is always sufficient water supply in all the trucks stationed at the premises.
Responding, Okwor, who expressed surprise along with other staff on duty, thanked the governor for always thinking ahead for the well-being of the people.
He thanked the governor for his contributions and support for the service; adding: “We are assuring you that the service is always ready in case of any emergency’’.
It would be recalled that the fire outbreak in Onitsha, Anambra State occurred at DMGS roundabout within Onitsha metropolis on Wednesday evening.