The governor of Enugu State, Mr. Peter Mbah has approved a holistic restructuring of the state’s Forest Guard as part of efforts to strengthen security.
According to a statement issued by his spokesman, Uche Anichukwu, the reform includes raising the guards’ salaries to a minimum of N80,000, in line with the new state minimum wage
Alongside the salary review, Mbah has also ordered a crackdown on illegal logging, warning that anyone caught cutting down immature trees or engaging in deforestation will face arrest and prosecution under existing laws.
Enugu State Commander of the Forest Guard, retired Deputy Commissioner of Police, Akinbayo Olasoji, disclosed this during stakeholder meetings held across Agbani, Nsukka and Awgu in the three senatorial districts.
Olasoji said the engagements with council chairmen, traditional rulers, town union leaders, farmers, hunters, vigilante groups, women and youth representatives were designed to ensure transparency and community involvement in the upcoming recruitment process.
Applicants, he stressed, must be individuals of proven integrity, with their nominations endorsed by their traditional rulers and town union presidents, who would also be held accountable for their conduct.
“We are here to have a heart-to-heart conversation with our stakeholders on how to keep politics and favouritism out of this exercise. We want trusted youths who know the forests, rivers and caves of their communities. They must not be involved in crime or drugs,” he said.
The Commander added that the strategy would allow communities to nominate young people capable of playing a frontline role in tackling insecurity.
“Our target is to disrupt criminal hideouts, rescue victims and secure our forests. The first batch will undergo two months of training by the end of this month, in line with directives from the Office of the National Security Adviser,” he explained.
Olasoji also called for community support, urging residents to share timely intelligence on criminal hideouts and illegal camps to boost the effectiveness of forest guard operations.