By Abasi Ita
The Cross River State Police Command has moved to deepen its security partnerships with the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, SSANU, University of Calabar Branch, and the Nigerian Medical Association, NMA, Cross River State Chapter, as part of efforts to strengthen public safety across the state.
The Commissioner of Police, CP Ajo Geoffrey Ordue, disclosed this on Monday during separate engagements with the leadership of SSANU and NMA at the Command.
Ordue, who received the SSANU leadership led by its Chairman, Comrade Dr Stephen Demort, and members of the executive council during a courtesy visit, expressed satisfaction with the existing synergy between the Police and the association.
He noted that sustained collaboration between the Police and the University of Calabar community was crucial to improving campus security, information sharing and peaceful coexistence.
The Commissioner underscored the need for continuous engagement between the Police and university stakeholders, stressing that effective security requires partnership and shared responsibility.
He assured the SSANU delegation of the Command’s commitment to maintaining open channels of communication and strengthening security cooperation with the University of Calabar.
He said the Command would continue to engage relevant stakeholders across the state to build trust, strengthen partnerships and promote sustainable peace and public safety.
In a related development, Ordue pledged to strengthen the Command’s security partnership with the NMA to enhance the safety of medical personnel, healthcare facilities and patients across the state.
The Commissioner made the commitment when he received the NMA leadership, led by its Chairman, Dr Pius Unimke Agweye, during a strategic engagement at the Command.
The meeting focused on improving communication and information sharing, as well as developing coordinated responses to security concerns affecting the medical community.
Ordue stressed that the safety of medical personnel was integral to community security, noting that healthcare workers provide essential services and must be able to perform their duties in a safe and secure environment.
He urged the NMA to maintain effective communication with the Command and promptly share relevant security concerns and information to support intelligence led policing, crime prevention and timely responses to emerging threats.
The Commissioner assured the association of the Command’s commitment to deepening security cooperation with the medical community and other professional bodies across the state.
Responding, Agweye commended Ordue for his commitment to stakeholder engagement and expressed the NMA’s readiness to deepen collaboration with the Police towards creating a safer environment for healthcare delivery in Cross River.
The Command said the engagements formed part of Ordue’s strategic approach to policing, which places strong emphasis on building sustainable partnerships with professional bodies, institutions and communities as critical partners in crime prevention and public safety.
The Police also called for continued cooperation from stakeholders in the education and health sectors to ensure safe and conducive environments for teaching, learning, healthcare delivery and other essential activities.