Governor seeks stakeholder support for N20bn security trust fund
The Enugu State Government has solicited stakeholders’ support to fund and actualise its proposed N20bn Enugu State Security Trust Fund.
The Chairman, Board of Trustees of ESSTF, Dr Ike Chioke, made the appeal during the sensitisation of Enugu House of Assembly members and Local Government Chairmen in Enugu on the security fund on Thursday.
Governor Peter Mbah had in February 2024, inaugurated ESSTF and its board members, which comprises individuals from private and public sectors, Civil Society Organisations and security agencies.
Chioke told them that ESSTF was a public-private partnership with anticipated contributions from State and Local Governments, corporate entities, non-governmental organisations, religious bodies and individuals.
According to him, the aim is to pool collective resources together and enhance the commitment to ensuring the safety and stability of all citizens in Enugu State.
He announced that the ESSTF would be officially launched on February 13, one year after its inauguration.
“The funds will be used to purchase additional weaponry, empower vigilante groups, support security agencies, purchase of security vehicles, installation of CCTV cameras and street lights among others.
“Beneficiaries are neighbourhood watch groups, forest guard agency, Enugu State Police Command, State Security Services and other security agencies.
“So before the launch, we feel that key stakeholders should be sensitised to help propagate the message about the fund to people in their constituents and local areas,” Chioke said.
He promised them proper accountability of the fund, stressing that every donor had something to gain for contributing.
A member of the board and the former Chairman of the Enugu State Council of Traditional Rulers, Igwe Lawrence Agubuzu, emphasised the need to secure Enugu State, saying the objective of the fund would not be achieved without the support of critical stakeholders.
The royal father, however, charged them to use their position to mobilise people at the grassroots to support the initiative.
The Speaker of the Enugu State House of Assembly, Mr Uche Ugwu, commended Mbah for being intentional in his developmental plans for the state.
He described the security of the people as the primary obligation of any responsible government, pledging that members would not only support the fund but take the message to their various constituencies.
Speaking on behalf of other council chairmen, the Chairman, the Association of Local Government of Nigeria, Enugu State, Mr Sydney Edeh, said his colleagues would align themselves with the security plan of the state government.
“We will not take this for granted and we will take the message to people in our respective Council Areas,” he said.
NAN
