The Bayelsa State Government threatened traditional rulers who fail to open registers to profile visitors and non-indigenes engaged in business and other socio-economic activities in their areas as one of the measures to tackle insecurity.
The Deputy Governor, Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo made the announcement at the second round of local government-by-local government meetings with traditional rulers across the state, which began with the Ekeremor council area on Thursday in his office in Yenagoa.
This was issued in a statement on Friday by the deputy governor’s Senior Special Assistant on Media, Mr Doubara Atasi.
It quoted Ewhrudjakpo as recalling that the state government had earlier ordered the monarchs to carry out the profiling in its previous meetings with them, in which securty topped the agenda.
Making reference to a recent policy announcement by the National Security Adviser, Major General Babagana Monguno (rtd), he noted that the issue of profiling had become mandatory in view of the current security situation in the country.
The deputy governor said, “We are going to follow up on our directive now. So you must cooperate with government to secure our communities because as you all know, security is a collective responsibility.
“Only last month, the National Security Adviser had written and announced that it is now compulsory for all traditional rulers in their communities to have a book to register visitors that come to their communities and what they came to do.
“You can see that what we discussed at the last meeting was preemptive of that announcement and the action the Federal Government is taking now. It means we are on the right course.”
In his contribution, the new Commissioner of Police, Bayelsa State Command, CP Eworo Echeng promised to strengthen community policing and urged community leaders and their people to provide useful intelligence to the police for prompt response and action.
On their part, the monarch of Ekeremor Town, Agbodo Gbaseimo and the Regent of Oporomor Kingdom, Mitin Tamaramieyefa thanked the deputy governor for the meeting and pledged their preparedness to comply with the directive on profiling and other programmes to promote security in their domains.
