The 17 Local Government Council chairmen in Plateau State have moved to curb insecurity in their localities with a plan to establish a joint security outfit.

The Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Hon Usman Ephraim Gar, said the idea was not to rival, but to complement conventional security agencies in tackling persistent killings and other security challenges across the state.

Speaking at a press conference in Jos, Gar said the chairmen had agreed to adopt the Wase Local Government Area security initiative as a model for strengthening grassroots security.

The outfit, he said, would serve as an early warning signal as well as an intelligence-gathering channel for conventional security agencies.

He said the idea was mooted after the successful training and formal registration of a community-based security outfit by Wase Local Government Area, designed to improve surveillance.

The commissioner, while giving a scorecard of the local government chairmen over two years, explained that the security personnel in Wase had undergone three months of training conducted by the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).

According to him, “Formal registration of the outfits would facilitate information dissemination and improve collaboration between local security personnel and conventional security agencies.”

He said that the example set by Dr Hamisu Mohammed Anani served as a model for a unified outfit to tackle insecurity and strengthen grassroots security.

The commissioner also used the opportunity to dispel rumours of interference in local government finances by the state government.

He defended Governor Caleb Mutfwang, insisting that “The governor has never dictated how the councils should utilise their allocations.”

“His Excellency, the governor, has never in any way interfered or demanded from us, or directed the local government chairmen on what to do with their resources,” he said.

Gar argued that “The projects being executed by local government councils, including the establishment of radio and television stations and the construction of large-capacity halls, demonstrate their ability to utilise their resources.”

He also spoke on the ministry’s oversight function over the local government areas, saying that a recent tour by a team from the ministry, which he led, was very pleased with the execution of local government projects under the Time is Now administration of Caleb Mutfwang. (The Sun)