By Sylvia Kodilichukwu, Enugu
Mr Valins Obizue has assumed office as the new Controller of Corrections in Enugu State, charging personnel to rededicate themselves to duty.
Obizue gave the charge on Thursday, August 21, in Enugu as he took over from his predecessor, Assistant Controller General (ACG) of Corrections, Mrs Prisca Oku.
Oku, who was recently promoted as ACG, had been deployed to take over as the new Zonal Coordinator of Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS), Zone M, Enugu.
Obizue, who acknowledged working with most personnel in the state at various offices, departments and commands before now, urged them to put in their best to ensure optimal delivery of NCoS mandates.
“I have worked with most of you before now, and I know you are disciplined and most of you know the job and what to do at every moment.
“We will work together in harmony and make the Command a positive reference point.
“Again, I will uphold all outstanding standards and legacies achieved by my predecessors in the Command,” Obizue, who is also the Commander, NCoS Enugu State Command, said.
Earlier, Oku said that her four months in charge of the command had impacted a lot on the inmates, especially their welfare and health.
She noted that the Command had got the state government’s attention in ongoing plan to get inmates enroll into the state’s Universe Healthcare Coverage, among other welfare interventions.
“I will urge the personnel to extend same cooperation given to me to the new Controller and ensure that the rating of the Command continues to be high,” she said.
Highpoints of the event were signing the handing- and taking-over notes, handing over of official Command flag as well as the inspection of offices and departments at the Command’s headquarters in Enugu.
In a related development, security heads in the State met to fine-tune arrangements for tight security during the forthcoming 2025 Annual Conference of Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) billed for Enugu.
Rising from the meeting, they assured of massive collaborative deployment, safe and hitch-free event.
The Commissioner of Police (CP), Enugu State Command, Mamman Bitrus Giwa, met with other heads of security agencies to finalize robust security arrangements.
The meeting, held at the Command Headquarters, Enugu, emphasized synergy and inter-agency collaboration to ensure the safety of participants and the public throughout the conference.
In a press statement by the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Enugu State Command, Daniel Ndukwe, the police said that the deliberations culminated in the adoption of a massive, intelligence-driven, proactive, and collaborative deployment of personnel and resources across the State.
Giwa reassured that adequate operational measures have been instituted to guarantee a safe, secure, and hitch-free event.
He called on conference participants and residents to remain law-abiding, cooperate with security operatives, and confident in the unwavering commitment of the Police and sister agencies to ensure their safety before, during, and after the conference.
While welcoming the NBA leadership, members, and guests to Enugu, CP Giwa further urged participants and residents to remain vigilant. He encouraged them to promptly report suspicious individuals, objects, or distress situations to the nearest police station or office of any law enforcement agency.
Reports can also be made through the Police Command’s Control Room and the Enugu State Command-and-Control Center,he stated.
The strategic inter-agency security meeting was attended by Brigadier General Stephen Dogo, Commander, 82 Division Garrison, Nigerian Army, Enugu; Mr. Humphrey Ohikuare, State Director, Department of State Services (DSS); Mr. Willie Elijah Etim, Enugu State Commandant, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC); and Mr. Franklin Agbakoba, Sector Commander, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), RS9.1 Sector, Enugu State.
Others in attendance were Mr. Abel Wadahi, Enugu State Commander, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA); Mrs. Prisca Oku, outgoing Controller of Corrections, Nigerian Correctional Service, Enugu State; Mrs. Nkechi Enete, Comptroller, Nigerian Immigration Service, Enugu State; and Mr. Ezeora Chinweuba Godwin, Controller, Federal Fire Service, Enugu State.
The Commander of the Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) Madueke, Enugu; the Area Commander of the Anambra/Ebonyi/Enugu Area Command, Nigeria Customs Service; and the Enugu Zonal Director of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) were represented at the meeting.
PHOTO CAPTION: Incoming Controller of Corrections, Mr. Obizue (right) and his predecessor, now-ACG Oku, during the hand-over ceremony.
