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… Says we don’t need to wait for terrorism before acting
From Aniekan Aniekan, Calabar
Governor Bassey Otu on Tuesday flagged off a security sensitization campaign/Roadshow in Calabar, saying the state will not wait for terrorism before taking action.
Represented by the State Security Adviser, Maj. Gen. Okoi Obono (rtd), the governor said the walk was aimed at building a culture of intelligence sharing ahead of the Security Summit scheduled for Calabar with the theme “Unite Against Terror”.
“Even though Cross River State has not witnessed terrorism, we don’t need to wait until it happens,” Obono said on behalf of the governor. “We must unite and support the security agencies to do their job.”
Obono stressed that citizens have a critical role to play in maintaining peace.
“Security agencies are not spirits. They rely on you for information. So I want to urge you all to play your part. If you see something, say something,” he told participants.
Obono said the city walk was designed to spread the message across communities and encourage residents to report suspicious activities to relevant authorities.
He added that the forthcoming Security Summit would provide a platform for stakeholders to develop strategies to sustain peace in the state.
Kenny Wariboko, a representative of the Department of State Services, said the fight against terror is necessary because those who perpetuate such acts live among the people and security agencies cannot do it alone.
He expressed support for the summit and called for concerted efforts to stamp out terror, assuring that the service is ready to respond appropriately.
The Acting Commissioner of Police in the state, Effanga Etim, said the police force is strongly behind the awareness drive, noting that there can be no development without peace.
Also speaking, Beatrice Akpala, Chairperson of the Central Planning Committee for the summit, said community development cannot take place in areas experiencing insecurity.
She added that the Otu administration is determined to ensure that the people can live, farm, and do business without any form of interference.
