The Cross River state government has called on the police authorities to partner with government to ensure the establishment of a functional security post in the Calabar International Convention Centre (CICC) in order to drastically tackle insecurity and vandalisation of equipment in the centre.
Managing Director of CICC, Bobby Effiom Ekpenyong, made the call during a courtesy call on the AIG Zone 6, Mr Musa Kimo in Calabar.
He restated the commitment of Professor Ben Ayade-led administration to security of lives and property. He said “It is the vision of this present administration that all assets of the government would be working at full capacity, and for me to achieve this at CICC I have to strike a balance and invite the police authority to partner with us and ensure that the issue of insecurity is nipped in the bud.
“We are faced with the challenges of vandalisation of our facilities, as we speak, the monorail is not working because the cables have been vandalised and most of our equipment and property installed in the convention center have been carted away by criminals.
“Upon my appointment as MD by His Excellency, he instructed me to ensure that the entire security architecture is revamped and immediately it struck me that there was no police presence around the centre considering how large it is. So I found it necessary that we should have a police post situated in the convention centre. Government is ready to provide the building and other logistics to ensure that this is done.”
In his response, the AIG Zone 6 assured Ekpenyong of his commands commitment to partner the management of CICC on security, adding that the cardinal duty of the Nigerian Police was to protect lives and property.
“I agree totally with your request for a police post to be stationed at the convention center. This I believe will help in keeping away hoodlums and vandals from the facility. I assure you of my full support and that of my command as regards security in that area.”
Shortly after, Ekpenyog also paid a courtesy visit to the Commissioner of Police, Mr Austin Agbonlahor.
Speaking during the visit, the MD said the Summit Hill estate where the CICC is located is a multi billion naira commercial environment capable of generating at least 30 percent of the state’s IGR, and therefore solicited the support and cooperation of the state’s police command to enhance the security architecture of the estate.
