Akwa Ibom state government has revealed its plan to integrate village youth presidents into the state’s security system.

Governor Umo Eno made the disclosure yesterday while speaking with reporters at the Victor Attah International airport on arrival from a two-day official visit outside the state.

Eno explained that the decision is propelled by the current security situation in the country.

“The reason is simple. We must take security seriously as a state. We must be proactive. The security situation in the country demands that all state governors become very proactive.

“The village youth presidents live in the villages and we have over 2200 villages. They must now come in to become part of the security architecture of the State as we prepare to roll out our State police,” he said.

On their role and contribution to the security of the state, the governor explained that the youth presidents will be trained on information gathering to serve as Intelligence officers within the Ibom Community Watch to help security agencies to function optimally.

“They will be our intelligence officers. So we are bringing them into the Ibom Community Watch. They will be trained on intelligence gathering by the Nigerian Police and other security agencies, and then we will formally bring them in.

“So village youth presidents are now going to serve as intelligence officers, responsible to governments in their respective villages, and of course we are creating jobs. So you can be sure that over 2200 youth Presidents will be engaged.”

He decried situations where primary schools and other public facilities in villages are vandalised in a place where there is a youth president, saying that with their planned integration, such will become history.

“You must be responsible for what happens in your village. Government now hires you. You need to know the number of people in your village, who are the visitors in your village. Criminal activities don’t happen overnight, security overrun doesn’t happen overnight,” he added. (The Nation)

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