The Governor of Abia state, Dr Okezie Ikpeazu has officially launched the Abia digital state security fund support and residents card in Umuahia.
The governor,who launched the security fund card at the Michael Okpara Auditorium Umuahia, said that the security fund card will help raise financial support for the security architecture in the onerous task of securing the lives and property of Abians and her residents.
Ikpeazu raised concern on the new trend of crime along Lokpanta and Isuikwuato axis of the state, where innocent commuters have been victims of violent crime being carried out by persons suspected to be aliens who use the cattle market at Lokpanta as a base.
The governor, stressed on the need for synergy among the south East state governments with a view of nipping in the bud cross border crime, adding that the Abia resident security card will help identify genuine residents.
According to the governor” the card is customized with security features that makes it difficult to be forged. .There is plan to integrate both the Abia state social Identity Number and the resident security card platforms for more synergy”.
He thanked the organizers of the programme for a job well done,as Abia state has become the first state in Nigeria to embrace digital security cards for identifying her citizens.
Earlier in his speech, the coordinator of the Abia state security fund card, Mr Darlington Anyanwu, said that the security support and residents card is an initiative created to secure funds and equipments from stakeholders to support and complement the state government efforts to Abia Residents as well as ensure that all security agencies perform their statutory roles efficiently and effectively with out problems.
NewNational Star, gathered that every security card carrying member is expected to pay a token of two hundred naira (#200) every month to support the initiative.
A cross section of Abians interviewed by our correspondent said that the programme is good on paper, but are afraid if the monies collected will not end in the private pockets of politicians and their Government agents,as has been the case of other infrastructural funds