A’Ibom Govt To Integrate Youth Presidents Into State Security Architecture 

By Bassey Nkponam 
UYO
The Akwa Ibom government is to integrate youth presidents in communities into the State’s security architecture.
The State governor, Pastor Umo Eno, who gave the hint on Friday, while interacting with Government House correspondents at the Victor Attah International Airport (VAIA) on his arrival from a two-day official visit outside the state, said government’s decision was propelled by the current security situation in the country. 
Eno explained that the 2,200 youth presidents in the state would be trained on information gathering to serve as intelligence officers within the Ibom Community Watch to help security agencies to function optimally. 
“The reason is simple. We must take security seriously as a State. We must be proactive. The security situation in the country demands that all State governors become very proactive. 
“The village youth presidents live in the villages and we have over 2,200 villages. They must now come in to become part of the security architecture of the State as we prepare to roll out our State police,” he said, adding, “They will be our intelligence officers. So we are bringing them into the Ibom Community Watch. They will be trained on intelligence gathering by the Nigerian Police and other security agencies, and then we will formerly bring them in.
“So, village youth presidents are now going to serve as intelligence officers, responsible to governments in their respective villages, and of course we are creating jobs. So you can be sure that over 2,200 youth presidents will be engaged,” the governor explained.
He decried situations where primary schools and other public facilities in villages were vandalised in a place where there is a youth president, hinting that with their planned integration, such will become history.
“You must be responsible for what happens in your village. Government now hires you. You need to know the number of people in your village, who are the visitors in your village. Criminal activities don’t happen overnight, security overrun doesn’t happen overnight,” he added.
Meanwhile, the governor, on arrival also made a stop over to inspect the Aviation Village project within the Victor Attah International Airport.