By Alex Enebeli

Enugu State Government says it has approved the establishment of an Army Barracks in Isi-Uzo Council Area of the state, to curb insecurity in the area.

Aka Eze Aka, the state’s Commissioner for Information, disclosed this while briefing newsmen on the outcome of the Enugu State Executive Council Meeting held on Friday at Government House, Enugu.

Aka said 200 soldiers would be sent to Isi-Uzo to protect lives and property.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the approval followed a request by Gov. Peter Mbah to Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen., Taoreed Lagbaja, to establish an army barracks in the council area to checkmate criminal activities when Lagbaja visited him on Jan. 9.

Speaking on road projects, the Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Mr Gerald Otiji, commended Mbah for his support to the ministry and for the massive road projects going on in the state.

He also commended the people of the state for their patience with the ongoing road constructions which had caused a lot of traffic at various parts of the state.

He said there was now renewed vigour to ensure that all awarded roads in the state were completed without further delays.

Explaining the 20 days ultimatum given to contractors to complete the projects, Otiji said the state government read a riot act to construction firms to speed up completion of the roads.

He said he had also warned that failure to meet the deadline given to them would attract sanctions in line with the laws of the state and their contract terms.

He said the state government would soon brief the people of the state on the number of roads already asphalted and he expressed satisfaction on the pace of work on new Artisan Bridge.

“I am optimistic that it will be completed in record time,” he said.

On education, the Commissioner for Education, Prof. Ndubuisi Mbah, said the council approved the establishment of a Teaching Service Commission as one of the strategies to ensure teachers welfare as well as professionalisation of the teaching profession in the state.

He noted that education reform was a focal point of the state government in the areas of social intervention and economic development in the long term, to ensure that the investments across all sectors were sustainable. (NAN)