CLO Urges Forest Guards, Town Unions Partnership To Tackle Insecurity In Enugu

The Civil Liberties Organisation has charged the government of Enugu State to strengthen the collaboration between the Forest Guards and town unions to enhance intelligence gathering for adequate protection of lives and property in the state.

The group also commended Gov Peter Mbah for the appointment of Col Dan Didigwu (rtd) and DCP Olamitisoji Akinbamilayo (rtd) as Chairman and Commander of the Enugu State Forest Guards respectively.

CLO stated this in a communiqué it issued in Enugu weekend. The communiqué was signed by its Executive Director, Comrade Ibuchukwu O. Ezike; Chairman, CLO, Enugu State, Jerry O. Enoja Esq, and the state Secretary of the body, Comrade Dan Igwe.

While commending Gov Mbah for infrastructural development of the state, CLO however urged the state to “reconsider the tax regime imposed upon the citizens in view of the economic stress prevailing in Nigeria”. It implored the government “to discern between rural and urban areas while enforcing the order” to reduce the pains of low business owners, especially in rural areas.
CLO further condemned the recent killing of Nigeria citizens at Yelewata, Benue State, as well as the murder of one Blessing Eze in Ogun State by tax collection enforcers.

Quoting the communiqué, “The act is an affront on our collective sensibilities and debases our common bond as humans. We urge the security agencies to pursue the murderers until the law takes its full course. We also condemn the murder of one Mrs Blessing Eze, a mother of four from Enugu State, in Ifo LGA of Ogun State for failing to pay illegal festival levies. The matter should not be swept under the carpet as we call upon the security agencies to track down the perpetrators of the heinous crime. We however advise that the arrest of any citizen will be a product of diligent investigations to avoid exploitation of those who would be innocent in the end.”

The group pledged to sustain collaborations with other human rights groups and individuals in upholding the ideals of human rights advocacy, defence of the needy inmates and grass-roots mobilisation and sensitisation.

CLO Urges Forest Guards, Town Unions Partnership To Tackle Insecurity In Enugu is first published on The Whistler Newspaper