Cross River Police boss extols Calabar South monarchs for security sensitization

From Edem Archibong, in Calabar

The new Commissioner of Police in Cross River State Command who resumed duty last month in the state, Rashid Afegbua has commended the Traditional rulers in Calabar South Local Government Area for ensuring that the former “hostile criminal den” Calabar South Local Government Area is now experiencing calmness as compared to years ago.

He attributed this calmness to the sensitization level of the Traditional rulers.

This assertion was made in Calabar during the courtesy familization visit by the Police Commissioner to the palace of the Paramount ruler of Calabar South Local Government Area, HRM Etubom Nyong Effiom Okon ETIM EWA 1st.

He used the opportunity to inform the Traditional rulers that he is not a new Police Officer to the state, rather, he had served in the state as the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in charge of Atakpa Division when police formations was only Efut and Atakpa Divisions.

CP Afegbua further explained that his new posting into the state does not make entirely new person, rather, he considers it as a “come back home” to serve in a higher capacity with his wealth of experience to improve the present security architecture of the state.

Mr. Afegbua who was a m’alabite’ studied law from the pristigous University of Calabar before proceeding to Nigerian law school in Lagos and call to bar promise to ensure that the security situation in the state will have more tactical improvement as a tourism hub in Nigeria.

Speaking earlier, HRM Etubom Nyong Effiom Okon ETIM EWA 1st, Paramount ruler for Calabar South Local Government expressed gratitude to the new Police boss for the initiative to visit his palace with members of his State team while promising to work with him to ensure that the crimes rate in the area is reduced to the bearest minimum in line with Governnor, Senator Bassey Edet Otu’s Vision as tourist destination in Nigeria.

He also used the opportunity to make a passionate appeal to the state Police Commissioner on three areas for consideration to includes: (a) Abolistion of knock-Out shooting/ selling of same because the sound of knock out resemble a gun sound. (b) Parade of Masquerades in the City should be prohibited because hoodlums uses the Masquerades to steal while Ekpo Masquerades is not part of the people’s tradition except an Ekpe Masquerades.

As the Chairman of Central Calabar Traditional Rulers Council, comprising Calabar South Local Government Area, Akpabuyo Local Government Area and Bakassi Local Government Area, he also requested that the ban on Ekpo Masquerades should be extended to all the three Local Government Council Areas to prevent crime.

On the third issues, the Paramount Ruler was specifically referring to Calabar South Local Government Area which he enumerated to have not less than 20 recognized Clan Heads and over 250 Village Heads in conformity with the Cross River State Traditional rulers edicts of 1978 also make provision for one Paramount ruler per a local government. Therefore , you should be aware that any person who may claims to be a Village Head or Clan Head without certificate of recognition by the Chieftaincy Affairs in Governor’s office should be arrested.