A security consultant, Commdt. Edwin Ugwuja (rtd), Monday, said the recent appointment of DCP Olamitisoji Akinbamilayo (rtd) as the Commander of the Forest Guards, Enugu State, was wrong.
Ugwuja said the ideal commander of the Forest Guards for the state should be a committed and patriotic native “who is abreast of Enugu terrains, culture and language”.
He spoke in Enugu in an interview with THE WHISTLER according to him, “The appointment of a Yoruba man as the commander of Forest Guards in Enugu State is very wrong. I am not a bigot, but the right thing should be done to avoid fundamental errors.
“In the first place, does this commander understand the indigenous language and culture of the Igbo people? Even if he does, this job calls for patriotism and passion. An Enugu person who is committed to security will carry out this assignment more diligently.”
Ugwuja, who was once the state Commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Taraba State, also called for a holistic approach in tackling insecurity across South-East states “considering the cross-border dimension of insecurity in the region”.
According to him, “Our governors should synergise and appoint natives as commanders of Forest Guards in their respective states. That is the essence of state policing which we have been canvassing.
“They should look for credible people to occupy those positions. People who were in crack squads of conventional security agencies should be considered because of expertise.
“We have core combatant officers who have headed operations. Then, the guards should be equipped with state-of-the-art gadgets. Forest Guards operatives should also go the local way.
“Every community had a means of protecting themselves in the olden days. Those cultural embellishments should be resurrected.”
On the criteria for recruitment, the security expert said, “The recruitment should be on merit. There are many able-bodied men and women in the state.
“Those who are willing and able should be considered for recruitment. Women will play key roles because they function well in intelligence gathering.”
He faulted some Forest Guards that operate on highways instead of forests. According to him, “It is out of the system because their jobs should be in the bushes except when there are intelligence reports. That is when they can do stop-and-search operations on highways.”
