By Eunice Emeyazia
The Delta State Contributory Health Commission (DSCHC) has underscored the importance of health insurance in strengthening community security, saying access to quality healthcare is essential to maintaining a healthy, motivated and productive security workforce.
The Commission made the assertion during the two-day Oshimili North Security Summit held in Akwukwu-Igbo, where the Chairman of Oshimili North Local Government, Hon. Chief Innocent Esewezie, inaugurated the Oshimili North Security Watch as part of efforts to deepen grassroots security and intelligence gathering.
Speaking at the summit, the Director of Planning, Research, Statistics and ICT of the Delta State Contributory Health Commission, Mr. Emmanuel Akpofure, commended the local government chairman for prioritising the welfare of the newly established security personnel through their enrolment into the Delta State health insurance scheme.
Akpofure described the initiative as a bold and forward-looking investment in human capital, noting that security personnel perform demanding and often hazardous duties that require access to affordable and quality healthcare.
According to him, enrolling the personnel in the state health insurance scheme demonstrates that the council recognises the strong link between good health and effective security service delivery.
He explained that health insurance protects workers from the financial burden of unexpected medical expenses, eliminates out-of-pocket spending for essential healthcare services and guarantees timely access to treatment whenever the need arises.
Akpofure said a healthy security workforce is better equipped to respond to emergencies, remain physically fit for operational duties and sustain the level of commitment required to protect lives and property.
He noted that beyond improving the wellbeing of the security personnel and their families, the initiative would enhance morale, increase productivity and contribute to the long-term sustainability of the local security architecture.
The DSCHC official urged other local government councils, public institutions and private organisations to emulate the Oshimili North model by enrolling their workforce in the Delta State health insurance scheme, stressing that health insurance should be viewed not as an expense but as a strategic investment in human development and public safety.
Earlier, Chairman of Oshimili North Local Government, Hon. Innocent Esewezie, disclosed that the council had enrolled 150 members of the newly established Oshimili North Security Watch into the Delta State Contributory Health Commission to guarantee them access to quality healthcare while carrying out their responsibilities.
He added that, in addition to monthly remuneration, arrangements had reached an advanced stage to place the personnel under a comprehensive group life assurance policy, describing the initiative as the first of its kind by any local government in Delta State.
Esewezie also revealed that the council was working towards transmitting a Security Watch Bill to the Delta State House of Assembly to provide a legal framework that would institutionalise the security outfit and ensure its continuity.
Declaring the workshop open on behalf of Governor , the Director-General of Security and Coordinator of Operation Delta Sweep, Hon. David Tonwe, said lasting peace can only be achieved through sustained collaboration among security agencies, governments, traditional institutions and local communities.
The Governor commended the Oshimili North chairman for the initiative, describing it as a timely intervention that complements the state’s security architecture and promotes peaceful coexistence.
In a keynote address, the Delta State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Yemi Onyeniye, represented by Assistant Commissioner of Police Anthony Uba, urged residents to support security agencies with credible and timely information, noting that intelligence supplied by communities remains one of the most effective tools in crime prevention.
Other speakers, including Executive Assistant to the Governor on Communications, Mr. Olisa Ifeajika, and Executive Assistant to the Governor on Community Mobilsation and President-General of Akwukwu-Igbo, Chief Iwegbu, identified unemployment, drug abuse, youth restiveness and poor community collaboration as some of the factors driving insecurity and called for greater stakeholder participation in safeguarding lives and property.
The summit, hosted by the Oshimili North Local Government, brought together traditional rulers, community leaders, civil society organisations and representatives of the Nigerian Army, Nigeria Police Force, Department of State Services and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps to discuss practical strategies for addressing emerging security challenges.
It featured presentation of operational motorcycles to the leadership of the Oshimili North Security Watch to strengthen surveillance, rapid response and community policing across the local government.
