Cross River State Governor, Senator (Prince) Bassey Edet Otu, has sought for increased security presence as a littoral and border state.
According to Mr. Emmanuel Ogbeche, Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Otu made the appeal when he received in audience Course 32 participants from the National Defence College, Abuja.
The Governor said the plea has become imperative as security of the citizens remains the core of his administration.
“With the peculiar topography of Cross River State, we need more security personnel. From the creeks of Bakassi to the hills of Obanliku, we need a strengthened security architecture in order to weed out any form of crime and criminality in the state,” the Governor said.
Applauding the theme for the study tour, “Strengthening National Unity for Security and Development in Nigeria: An Appraisal of Efforts of Cross River State,” the governor described it as important, noting that over the years, Cross River has been using its rich cultural heritage in fostering national unity and peaceful coexistence.
He commended the military for their dexterity, saying: “these are men who put their lives in harm’s way to defend the territorial integrity of the country, and maintaining peace and stability of the nation.”
Earlier, the leader of the team, Commodore Mohammed Adamu Muye, informed that the team is in Cross River on a national study tour to acquaint participants with the socio-political environment of Nigeria.
According to Muye, who is also the Director, Department of Curriculum and Programme Development of the College, participants at the end of the tour would present their findings, highlighting the peculiarities of Cross River based on firsthand information.
He explained that the College, presently designated as the ECOWAS Training Centre of Excellence for Peace and Conflict Studies, since inception in 1992, has trained 2, 758 participants, pointing out that Course 32 comprises 109 trainees, including 19 international participants from Brazil, India, Bangladesh, amongst others.
Muye further explained that the team will also cover Taraba, Ebonyi, Adamawa, Kano and Kwara States as part of the national study tour aimed at generating viable ideas towards strengthening national unity and cohesion.
