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 By Stella Odika

The Divisional Police Officer of Ekpan Police Station in Uvwie Local Government Area of Delta State, Chief Superintendent of Police, Aliyu Lekan Shaba, has assured Warri, Uvwie and Environs Special Area Development Agency, WUEDA, of adequate security support in the enforcement of environmental laws towards restoring normalcy to the Agency’s mandate area popularly called the Oil City.

CSP Shaba gave the assurance on Friday in his office at Ekpan when he played host to a high-powered team of the Agency led by its Director-General, Hon. Prince Godwin Ejinyere.

The Ekpan DPO said Vice President Kashim Shettima recently spurred him into more action with the award of the IGP’s Best DPO of the Year presented to him by the police Affairs minister, adding that “to whom much is given, much is expected.”

CSP Shaba noted that “what is worth doing is worth doing well,” and commended Prince Ejinyere and his team for taking WUEDA’s sensitization campaign to Ekpan Police Division.

He asserted that as a progressive Police Officer, and a DPO without borders, he would do everything within his mandate to support WUEDA’s DG and his team towards achieving the desired results for the benefit of all.

Promising to be equitable, fair and just in his efforts to make residents comply with environmental laws and regulations, the Ekpan DPO echoed his zero tolerance for crimes and criminals. He advised WUEDA not to favour any offender if the Agency must succeed.

“I will support your Agency with security backup to enable you to carry out your duties anywhere in WUEDA’s mandate areas, so as to restore night life to the Metropolis as it was in the good old days,” CSP Shaba reassured.

Earlier, the WUEDA DG, Prince Godwin Ejinyere told the DPO that he assumed office five months earlier with the mandate to change the narrative about Warri, Uvwie and their environs in a positive way.

Hon. Ejinyere lamented the high level of lawlessness in the metropolis, accentuated by street trading, indiscriminate parking of vehicles, illegal motor parks and mechanic workshops, and the blockage of drainage channels by residents who flout the law with reckless abandon.

“We had met with many stakeholders including the Police Area Commander, the Nigerian Army, Royal Fathers, managers of television and radio stations, as well as leaders of trade unions, asking them for support towards achieving our goal,” the DG said.

He re-emphasized Governor Sheriff Oborevwori’s resolve to turn Warri, Uvwie and their environs into one of the best metropolises in Nigeria, ranking among Lagos, Abuja and Port Harcourt, and that he would not tolerate anyone who tried to thwart his efforts by perpetrating disorderliness in the Agency’s mandate areas.

“We don’t want to work against the law, so we demanded for and got a Mobile Court with one Magistrate for each LGA to prosecute and punish offenders. The Police are our friends, so we cannot do without the Police. We had served some demand notices but the DPOs had not been properly briefed hence our visit to you as our partner in progress,” Ejinyere stated.

The WUEDA DG noted that over N15bn had been approved by the Delta State Govt to tackle the flooding problem in the Oil City but some unpatriotic residents had blocked almost all the drains, so the Agency must follow up and ensure that the drainages were opened up to function optimally to forestall flooding.

“Ensuring peace and security is equally our mandate. We want to partner the Police to restore night life to Warri and its environs as it is in Asaba the State Capital right now,” the DG stated.

The Divisional Crime Officer of Ekpan Police Station, SP Charles Aguebor, and the Station Officer, ASP Waziri Imran were present during the visit.

A member of WUEDA Board of Directors, Mr. Isaac Itobi; WUEDA’s Director of Admin and Finance, Mr. Simon Esi, and the Agency’s Director of Health and Social Services, Mrs. Ogor Oke-Oghene, were among the top management staff of WUEDA that accompanied Prince Ejinyere on the visit.