By Petrus Obi
My recent trip to Nsukka was a memorable one which I felt should be shared with other road users.
Having been out of Enugu for sometime I returned to a town with visible changes and turnarounds.
As we we drove round town my friend Ejike (Fellas) would quickly point out some wonderful touches that have made the overall road rehabilitations in the state capital remarkable.
The issue of roads in Enugu is a topic for another day but one must not fail to appreciate the eloquent efforts of Governor Peter Mbah.
Back to our trip to Nsukka through the Ugwogo/Opi road. My friend was driving but I was the first to spot the Armoured Personnel Carrier at a corner as we approached the Opi end of the road which had in the past witnessed some criminal activities which had put fear on road users.
As though the first Armoured Personnel Carrier wasn’t enough, I spotted yet another one just after one of the sharp bends. I had no option than to ask my friend to park.
I walked up to the policeman on the road to make some enquiries but he directed me to their commander who was dressed ‘battle ready’. I wasn’t just impressed with what I was seeing, I also felt as confident and secure as anyone will feel in a safe environment.
My enquiries revealed that the men on duty were from the Mopol 76 PMF, Enugu.
To say that the men deployed to this hitherto red spot on that road, must have been carefully selected; as my friend pointed out, was like repeating the obvious, because any road user who encountered these policemen will know that there’s a difference from other policemen one has been meeting. (Not in all situation anyway.)
These officers understood why they were posted to the area and refused to be distracted.
Apart from some officers who paraded the area with what looked like a highjack motorcycle, there were no necessary delay of vehicles on that road.
At no point on that road did we see more than one vehicle parked, for whatever reason. It was the normal police, ‘where are you coming from, why are you going, what do you have in your boot, and the traffic kept flowing.
Taking a step further in our findings we stopped at a nearby spot to enquire if the heavey security presence noticed was a one-off thing. It was reliably gathered that the security presence was a 24-hour service.
It was further revealed that the men on ground were relieved by a new team after every 48 hours.
My friend was quick to point out that the overall security network in the state has highly improved under the Governor Peter Mbah administration.
Initially we were in a hurry to return to Enugu in good time, but having seen what was on ground we couldn’t help but take out time to relax at a palm wine joint where the itching ears of this reporter eaves-dropped constantly on the beer parlour discussions that is usual in such spots.
Of importance, in the discussions was the issue of the Vice Chancellor position of the University of Nigeria, as well as the performance of the governor.
An elderly man who had already told his story of the Nigeria Civil War, the position of Nsukka people in politics, declared that the Governor is doing marvelously well. His declaration immediately earned him a free cup of palm wine from one of the guests, who later identified himself as a lecturer from Igboeze North Local Government Area.
With our full beams on, we drove back that night to Enugu with the same security team still in place, and vehicles going their different ways with every sense of confidence and security.
The ubiquitous presence of the Distress Response Service (DRS) must not be left out in this narrative.
In-fact we lost count of the number of DRS vehicles stationed on the road.
This is not just commendable but should be replicated in other states of the South East where crime like kidnapping still persists.
The police must also be commended just as the governor of Enugu State.
The deployment of two Armoured Personnel Carrier to the Opi end of that road speaks volumes towards the commitment of the governor to ensure the security of lives and property of the citizens.
