The Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) has praised Edo State Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo, for the ongoing training of 500 forest guards aimed at improving security across the state.
The governor got the commendation when the Director of Defence Affairs at Office of the National Security Adviser ,Major General Hilary Mabeokwu,on Thursday led an evaluation team on a courtesy visit to him at Government House in Benin City.
Mabeokwu said the team was in Edo to assess the training programme at the Police Training School, Ogida Barracks, where the forest guards are undergoing instruction.
He said the assessment covered the training environment, security at the camp, accommodation, feeding, medical facilities, instructors’ welfare and compliance with the training schedule approved by the National Security Adviser.
Mabeokwu said the team was particularly impressed by the trainees’ weapon-handling skills, adding that about 65 to 70 per cent of the programme had been completed.
He described the initiative as part of the Federal Government’s wider strategy to tackle terrorism, banditry and other security threats by deploying trained personnel to protect forests and other ungoverned areas used by criminal groups.
“We looked at the suitability of the training camp and we also evaluated the security arrangements around the training area,then the accommodation also, the quality of their feeding then mode of instruction adopted by the instructors,we also try to ascertain if the training they are doing is in line with the training directive from the schedule that was sent from the office of the National Security Adviser,then we also accessed the medical facilities available then we accessed the instructors welfare and so many others.Your Excellency I am happy to report that so far what we saw is satisfactory at the camp”.
Responding, Governor Monday Okpebholo thanked President Bola Tinubu and the National Security Adviser for approving the recruitment and training of the 500 forest guards for Edo.
He said the initiative would strengthen security in the state’s forests, which have often been used as hideouts by criminal groups.
“Let me say a very big thank you for this initiative and also to thank Mr President for deeming it fit to say yes Nigeria must be protected, and the only way Nigeria can be protected is through the Forest and if we don’t have Forest Guard it will be difficult because we see strangers coming to live in our Forest and launching evil from there so its a very good initiative”he said.
Edo State Commissioner for Public Safety and Security, Festus Ebea, said the evaluation team expressed satisfaction with the standard of training and facilities provided.
Ebea also commended Okpebholo’s commitment to protecting lives and property, saying it had contributed to security and development in the state.