…Harps on discipline, professionalism

The Enugu State Forest Guard has issued a new Order introducing comprehensive standards governing the dress code, operational turnout, accoutrements, corporate identity, discipline, and professional appearance of all officers and operatives of the Corps.

The new policy issued entitled Headquarters Standing Operational Order No. 178/2026 was announced by the the Commander of the Enugu State Forest Guard, Dr. Akinbayo Olasoji, in Enugu.

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He said the reforms are fully aligned with the vision of the Governor of Enugu State, Dr. Peter Ndubuisi Mbah, to build a disciplined, intelligence-driven, technologically enabled, and highly professional security architecture capable of safeguarding lives, property, forests, and other critical assets across the State.

In statement issued by the Geraldine Chiagozie, an Assistant Superintendent of Forest Guard, Olasoji said the Order forms part of the ongoing institutional reforms aimed at strengthening discipline, reinforcing command and control, enhancing operational professionalism, and projecting a distinctive corporate identity for the Corps.

“As the operational activities of the Forest Guard continue to receive increasing public visibility through field operations, community engagements, television, radio, newspapers, and digital media platforms, it has become imperative to institutionalize uniform standards that reflect the discipline, professionalism, and values expected of a modern government security organization.

“The Standing Operational Order prescribes approved uniforms and their designated days of wear, operational dress for bush-combing and other field deployments, standards for approved accoutrements, lanyards, rank insignia, footwear, and personal grooming. It also establishes special dress codes for Administrative Officers and the Provost Unit to promote uniformity, professionalism, and easy identification throughout the Corps.

“The Order further prohibits the wearing of unauthorized uniforms, civilian attire (mufti) without authorization while on official duty, unauthorized footwear, and the use or public display of improvised wooden weapons during official assignments.

‘It emphasizes that only Headquarters-approved uniforms, equipment, and accoutrements shall be worn by personnel in the discharge of official duties.

“To ensure strict compliance, Directors, Senatorial Commanders, Zonal Commanders, Heads of Departments, Unit Commanders, and Sector Officers have been directed to conduct regular inspections before office duties, patrols, bush-combing operations, ceremonial activities, media engagements, and other official assignments. The Provost Unit has also been mandated to monitor compliance and enforce the provisions of the Standing Operational Order across all Commands and Units of the Corps,” the statement explained.

Meanwhile, the Commander of the Forest Guard, has also provided more insights into the significance of the initiative.

“Discipline begins with appearance. A professional security organization must be instantly recognized by its smart turnout, uniformity, discipline, and operational readiness. This Standing Operational Order is therefore not merely about uniforms; it is about strengthening our institutional culture, promoting accountability, reinforcing public confidence, and ensuring that every officer and operative represents the Government of Enugu State with dignity, honour, and professionalism,” the statement quoted Dr. Olasoji as saying.

The Commander reaffirmed the unwavering commitment of the Enugu State Forest Guard to continuous institutional improvement, operational excellence, intelligence-led security operations, respect for the rule of law, and effective collaboration with communities and other security agencies in promoting peace, public safety, and sustainable development throughout Enugu State.

Meanwhile, the Headquarters Standing Operational Order takes immediate effect, and all Commands and Units have been directed to ensure immediate and full compliance with its provisions.

…Allays fears of abuse, says no one would be governor forever

Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State has called for financial autonomy and investment in modern security infrastructure for state police services when created, stressing the need for any legal framework for state police to take into account the need for national standards, national support, local capability and local decision-making.

Mbah made his position known during the town hall themed, “Building a National Consensus for State Police and National Security,” organised by Arise News in Abuja on Thursday.

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The governor emphasised that prioritising security through adequate funding for state police services and investment in technology would enable those responsible for security at the subnational level to deliver the expected outcomes.

“The importance of funding the state police system effectively cannot be overemphasised. And having a State Police Service Commission that has a first-line charge on the Consolidated Revenue Fund is in order.

“Many other institutions in the states – the judiciary and the legislature – have the first-line charge. The key thing is providing enough funding to be able to sustain the state policing system,” he said.

Sharing the Enugu State experience on the importance of prioritising security, he recalled that at the inception of his administration in 2023, the state was under siege, with nightlife gone, some areas even in the state capital barricaded, Mondays gone, while many students lost an entire academic year, as they could not sit important final-year examinations due to the illegal sit-at-home orders.

“If the Enugu experience is anything to go by, we came into office recognising that we had made commitments to eradicate poverty, to grow the economy exponentially, to make Enugu State the preferred destination for business, living, and investment.

“We immediately recognised that if we didn’t address the security challenges, we could not achieve those objectives. Therefore, we had to invest hugely in technology, in building a Safe City Surveillance System with CCTV cameras that are AI-enabled, as well as having both static and mobile cameras. All these come with huge costs.

“But the human element is also important, which is essentially why we had to set up the Distress Response Squad (DRS). As a governor, you want immediate action because matters of security are measured in minutes. You must be in a position where you are able to act swiftly.

“So, you must build the capability to first nip crime in the bud. But where there has been a breach, you must have the capacity to act swiftly. And if the Enugu experience is anything to go by, that essentially is what we did that enabled us to drive down violent crime by over 90 per cent.

“Therefore, when you talk about funding, you can see that the states are already carrying quite a huge burden in terms of funding, because you are investing in technology.

“We also ensured that there is a unified communication system between the agencies. Our Command and Control Centre houses all the security agencies in the state – the police, the army, and the Department of State Services. They all have a channel of communication,” he stated.

Governor Mbah also called for a constitutional provision that guarantees state police while preserving the details for an Act of the National Assembly to allow for amendments in the future without going through the rigours of constitutional amendment.

“So, in amending the Constitution, we must, by all means, make sure that it is not verbose. There should be a provision that allows us to reform the system in future, if needed, when we have tried it,” he said.

Mbah also stressed the need to focus on operational authority for state police rather than on watering down the powers of governors, who would be in office for a maximum of eight years only.

“By the way, there is this idea that governors are likely to abuse state police and that we should, therefore, do as much as we can to water down their powers.

“Nobody is a governor forever. We are also going to one day leave that office and become regular citizens. We just want to be sure that there is enough operational authority given to the governors so that you do not give someone a performance target without providing him or her with the control needed to achieve the required outcome,” he concluded.

The Minister of Defence, Christopher Musa, has disclosed that the Federal Government increased the minimum monthly salary of Nigerian soldiers from N49,000 to N100,000 as part of ongoing efforts to improve the welfare of military personnel.

Musa made the disclosure during an interview with News Central on Wednesday ahead of the station’s NC Exclusive programme scheduled for Friday.

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He described the development as one of the welfare improvements introduced by the current administration for military personnel.

“When they started, a soldier was collecting N49,000 monthly. We tried so hard, now he’s collecting N100,000,” the minister said.

For decades, concerns over poor salaries, inadequate accommodation, delayed benefits and rising living costs have dominated discussions on military welfare.

Musa also dismissed allegations that soldiers were being poorly fed, describing claims circulating on social media as misleading.

Referring to a viral video involving a military officer identified as Justice Crack, he alleged that the footage was deliberately manipulated to create a false impression about the quality of meals served to troops.

“The soldier’s food was okay. There was meat; there was all this. But he told them to pull out those things and make it look as if those things were not there,” he said.

The minister’s remarks come as the Federal Government continues to pursue a mix of welfare reforms, increased security spending and renewed military operations aimed at improving the effectiveness of troops battling insecurity across the country.

But calls persist for greater investment in equipment, intelligence gathering and personnel welfare.

Musa maintained that Nigeria’s defence allocation remains inadequate to meet the enormous demands placed on the Armed Forces.

Responding to a question on whether the current defence budget was sufficient, he replied, “It’s not enough.”

He noted, however, that the government would continue investing in the welfare and operational capacity of the military to enable personnel to respond more effectively to the country’s security challenges.

The minister also advocated tougher punishment for kidnappers, calling for the introduction of the death penalty to discourage the growing wave of abductions across the country.

According to him, existing sanctions have failed to deter perpetrators.

“I think we should do that. There must be deterrence. The laws are soft, and that’s why people take advantage.If they know once you commit an offence, there must be punishment,” he said.

Speaking on the recent abduction of schoolchildren in Oyo State, Musa alleged that the kidnappers were attempting to pressure the military into releasing some of their commanders currently in custody.

Describing the incident as unfortunate, he said the abductors had resorted to using innocent children as bargaining tools.

“It’s a very sad event. Unfortunately, bad things do happen. For whatever reason, they are looking for leverage because we have some of their commanders with us, and they feel taking these kids and holding them to ransom will make us release their commander,” he said.

He further claimed that the kidnappers had threatened to kill the victims should security forces move closer to their hideout.

“They are now threatening that if we come any closer, they’re going to kill all the kids,” the minister added.