The Delta State Government in collaboration with the Police Service Commission has held a town hall meeting in Asaba with a charge on traditional rulers, opinion leaders, prominent citizens and groups in the state to encourage the youths to show greater interest in joining the police.
Governor Ifeanyi Okowa gave the charge while declaring open the town hall meeting at the Unity Hall in Government House, Asaba.
Governor Okowa, represented by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Chief Patrick Ukah, said the town hall meeting was timely as criminals have reinvented their wheels of criminality where neighbours may be kidnappers or run a terrorists cell.
He said this reality called for new strategies to defeat the enemies of peace, adding that the town hall meeting and retreat were the first steps to take as they aim at familiarizing the citizens and residents of the state with the activities of the commission.
The governor, who observed that the number of people joining the police had declined probably because of their perception of the police, encouraged the young ones to join the force now to strengthen the security architecture.
He told the leadership of the police force to do a lot of homework to make people to be attracted to the job by portraying the force as the friend of the community in their dressing, attitude and actions as they are integral parts of the society.
Governor Okowa commended the police and other sister security agencies for their cooperation in ensuring the existence of relative peace in the state.
Earlier, the Commissioner representing South-South geopolitical zone and Nigerian mass media; Police service commission, Mr. Austin Braimoh, stated that the community engagement was to directly interact with persons and citizens to educate them about the inner workings and mandate in aiding a smooth relationship between the police and the public.
He said the police will endeavour to periodically keep the police/citizens relationship via community engagement forums across the various state and zonal commands across the country.
The State Police Commissioner, Ari Mohamed Ali, represented by Deputy Commissioner of Police, Mr. Sunday Oke, stated that the police have been repositioned to serve the public diligently and urged the participants, including the traditional rulers, to encourage their best materials to join the police.
He urged the youths to take pride in the dignity of labour and shun acts capable of taking them into jail and jeopardizing their future.
