The National Security Adviser (NSA), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, has commended the effort of Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State for restoring normalcy in the state.
Speaking at the official commissioning of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Enugu Zonal Command Complex, Ribadu said Mbah’s administration has fought insecurity to a standstill in the state.
Ribadu reiterated the Federal Government’s commitment to the war against insecurity and corruption across the country. He said the President Bola Tinubu administration had no room for corrupt EFCC officers and law enforcement agents.
He said: “Your Excellency, the governor, we want to thank you so much for the good work you are doing, not just for Enugu State, but for our country. Things are changing. We are getting better here and things are improving.
“You are one of the very, very few that has shown that, indeed, it is possible. Security is getting back to normalcy in Enugu State and, by extension, the South East. And you are in the forefront of it. We recognise that and thank you for the good work you are doing.
“The economy is improving. It is clear. You are addressing insecurity. You are engaging. We believe that with leaders like you, the human challenges and the typical things we had to face in the past will certainly be put behind us. We want to encourage you and all those, who are doing exceptionally good work in restoring order in Nigeria.
“We were here in June and we had an interaction with the governor, and he came out strongly and courageously. He said that he would do his best to restore order. Today, based on our own records and statistics – because we get daily reports of activities – there are lots of instances or days or even weeks and more that we have not recorded one single violence or incident of either terrorism or even kidnapping.
“They are going extremely down in Enugu State and by extension the South East. Things have changed. Unfortunately, before the coming of this administration, police stations were being attacked, law enforcement people were being attacked.
“People were giving selfish orders. Those who are not even in Nigeria will sit somewhere in the comfort of the countries where they live and be giving instructions that people should not go to work; should not go out to look for their own livelihood and people used to take such orders. But no more; it is no longer happening. We thank the leaders who have emerged in the South East and we thank the federal government for engagement.”
On his part, Governor Mbah commended the EFCC on its success at fighting corruption, reiterating the commitment of his administration to waging a remorseless war on corruption and insecurity.
The governor said the fight against corruption and insecurity is critical to the effort to grow Enugu’s economy from a $4.4 billion to $30 billion economy and eradicate poverty.
He said: “We hereby enjoin the security agencies and EFCC to sustain their good work to ensure that Enugu State and Nigeria as a whole are finally able to consign the memories of insecurity to distant history.
“The opening of this office reconfirms our commitment as a nation to sustain the war against corruption. This commitment is well founded in view of the many proven negative effects corruption has on economic development.
“With this in mind, considering the objective of this administration to make Enugu one of the top 3 states in Nigeria in terms of GDP and achieve a zero percent rate in the poverty head count, it is clear that corruption has to be brought down to a barest minimum within the State.”
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