Lukman Olabiyi, Lagos
Nasarawa State Governor Abdullahi A Sule and Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde have both given suggestions on how to tackle insecurity across Nigeria.
The two governors say that without synergy between the government and all relevant stakeholders insecurity in the country would continue to persist.
The governors made this known while speaking at a programme titled ‘An Interactive and Networking Evening with the Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar Adamu’, which held in Lagos on Tuesday.
The event with the theme ‘Insecurity: The challenges and solutions’, was organised by Breakthrough Media.
Nasarawa Governor Sule, who was a special guest of honour, was represented at the occasion by his Commissioner for Special Duty, Bashir Aliu Mohammed.
He highlighted the importance of synergy between government and all the relevant stakeholders in tackling insecurity across the country
Governor Sule said the current peace in his state was as a result of his policy of ensuring that the state is safe for all citizens, regardless of their religion or ethnicity.
The Governor’s representative, Mohammed, stated that as a result of the Sule administration’s synergy with security stakeholders, 130 kidnapping suspects have been arrested in state.
Governor Makinde, represented at the occasion by his Executive Assistant on Security Matters, Mr Sunday Odukoya, reecohed the submission of the Nasarawa Governor on government-stakeholder synergy.
The Governor’s aide stated that as part of Oyo State Government’s determination to provide adequate security for its citizens and their properties, the government has acquired 100 units of Executives Automatic Transmission patrol vehicles to be distributed to security agencies.
Apart from this, he said, in the government’s effort to find lasting solutions to internal security challenges in the state, the Governor has partnered with the Vigilante and Community Development Council.
Meanwhile, the Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, stated that the establishment of State Police units was not achievable without an amendment to the constitution.
Adamu, who was represented by the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Abdul Kareem Jimoh, said the establishment of state police forces was a good idea that could translate to reality due to the architecture of the police clearly stated in the constitution.
He said for the ideal of state police forces to materialise, however, there must be an amendment to the Nigerian constitution.
He admitted that the Nigerian Police Force currently lacks sufficient manpower to police the country, but advocated for Community Policing as an alternative.
Jimoh disclosed that 5,000 officers have been trained as community policing instructors and that the IGP would soon commission a Police Intelligence School in Kwara State.
He stated that these efforts were part of Adamu’s determination to address the security challenges the country is faced with.
The Chairman of Breakthrough Media, Rev. Michael Akintola, in his welcome address, charged all relevant security stakeholders and the government to go the extra mile in finding lasting solutions to the menace of insecurity ravaging the country.
He said that without adequate security of lives and property, Nigeria’s economy would develop to its full potential and that its developing democracy would be in danger.
