Security has been tightened across Awka, Anambra State, ahead of the visit of the First Lady of Nigeria, Sen. Oluremi Tinubu, on Thursday. Security personnel were seen at strategic locations across the town as authorities moved to ensure a peaceful and orderly visit.
Operatives of the Nigeria Police Force, Department of State Services (DSS), Nigerian Army, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) and local vigilance groups were deployed to various locations. The state Police Public Relations Officer, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, said security personnel had been fully mobilised to provide adequate protection before, during and after the visit.
The First Lady is expected to inaugurate the National Community Food Bank Programme for the South-East geopolitical zone as well as an empowerment programme for 5,000 residents of the state. She is also scheduled to visit the Federal Polytechnic, Oko, where she will inaugurate an Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Centre.
Some residents expressed optimism over the visit, describing it as an opportunity for Anambra to benefit from Federal Government interventions. A businessman, Mr Chimsom Onwudinjo, said he was pleased that the First Lady was visiting the state, adding that the projects and empowerment programmes could have a direct impact on the lives of residents.
A retired teacher, Mr Kingsley Chikwe, said the visit would strengthen the relationship between the Federal Government and the people of Anambra, particularly vulnerable families. A civil servant, Mrs Ekene Okpe, also welcomed the visit but urged organisers to ensure that beneficiaries of the empowerment programme were selected transparently, while calling for continued attention to the welfare of women, youths and vulnerable families in the South-East.
