Obinna Odogwu, Abakaliki
The Ebonyi State Government has terminated the employment of six members of the Neighbourhood Security Watch and suspended salaries of 10 others for “incompetence and negligence of duty.”
This was even as it also set up a 3-man committee headed by a retired police officer to ensure closer monitoring of the members of the neighbourhood security outfit to ensure maximum performance.
Senior Special Adviser to Governor David Umahi on Internal Security, Dr. Kenneth Ugbala, announced this in a meeting with the security members. He said the state government will not fold its hands and watch evil flourish in the state.
He said as part of measures to tackle crimes, the state government has put adequate measures in place to reposition the local security outfit and other vigilante groups for optimal performance.
Ugbala said that he has already ordered for immediate demobilization of all the sacked members while those whose salaries were suspended will remain on probation till further notice as part of measures to reposition the watchmen.
Governor Umahi had, last year,cset up the Neighbourhood Security Watch (NSW) aimed at helping the security agencies in their fight against crimes in the state. But the state government said some of the members have not performed and, therefore, sacked six of the members and suspended salaries of 10 others.
“We have sacked five neighbourhood watch members for non-performance and 10 others will not get salaries from this January which simply means they are under probation and if they did not improve from the month of February, we will drop them and reconstitute the DISCOs they are from and their local governments,” he said.