By Demi Adeniyi
The Lagos State he Governor Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu has restated the call for review of national policing and security architecture in order to make government more proactive in the protection of lives and property.
Governor Sanwo-Olu made this known yesterday, in his speech at the 16th LSSTF Town Hall meeting on security meeting with the governor which had in attendance captains of banking and industries, key movers of the private sector, and top brass of the state security at the Civic Center, Lagos.
Among those in attendance are members of the state Executive Council, traditional rulers and titled chiefs, among them the white cap chiefs of Lagos, and security chiefs, among them, the Police Commissioner for Lagos State Mr Abiodun Alabi, other members of the state security council in the Army, Airforce, Navy and the Department of the State Security (DSS), the NSCDC, LASTMA, and other security agencies.
Others in attendance are the Director General NIMASA Dr. Bashir Jamoh, former Inspector General of Police Alhaji Musiliu Smith, DIG Wahab Olusegun Kazeem (rtd), DIG Agboola Oshoduli Glover (rtd) and DIG Zone 2, Onikan, Mr Adeyinka Adeleke, and Commander MV Beecroft Commander Abdulrasheed Malam among others.
The governor who observed that the Federal Government has commenced the process of the reform with the take-off of the community Policing, however said more need to be done to achieve the far-reaching structural reforms in security management in the country.
He said: “While we continue to push for those reforms however, we must make the best of the current circumstances and embrace the limitations that come with it”.
While promising to continue to work for the protection of the lives and prosperity of all, Sanwo-Olu appealed for the continued support of captains of industries to continue to donate in cash and in kind, equipment, expertise and intelligence, all of which are needed to ensure the state is kept safe.
While acknowledging that security is a matter to which everybody I. The state must be committed, the governor urged every one,: “when you see something, say something. Do not keep quiet. Security is a collective responsibility”.
He said the LSSFT is constantly reenfineering itself to deliver more efficiently, transparently and in a resukt-oriented manner, which he added are further incentive to continue to support its operations.
“We will continue to send a strong and loud message to all purveyors of crime and criminality in Lagos State. We will stay ahead of your intentions and actions and we will continue to fight you with everything we have. That is the Lagos spirit, that is who we will continue to be. There will be no room for actions that undermine our wellbeing and our capacity to achieve our dreams a d aspirations”
In his address of welcome the Chairman of the LSSTF Board Mr Kehinde Durosinmi-Etti said it is in the tradition of the Fund to lay it’s activities open for all it’s sponsors and stakeholders on how it has continued to intervene in order to fix the resource deficit of the security agencies working in the state.
He said security is essential to all human activities, the main reason that security wi continue to play a leading role and LSSTF would be a major interface of that.
He said since it was sworn in 2020, this is the first time that the board would be playing host to a huge number of people at the Town Hall.
He said without security there is no economy and there can be no growth and prosperity.
“We continue to hold our donors in high esteem for their belief in the Lagos State effort to support security operations I. The state and we thank then for their donations to date.
He singled out for mention Zenith Bank and FCMB which continued to give year on year to the Fund. He described them as heroes whose efforts and donations have continued to keep the state safe.
The Executive Secretary/CEO of the LSSTF Dr Abdurrazaq Balogun said the Fund had continued to make the state the safest haven for investors who have continued to make the state their choice.
He said th core values of the Fund remains prudence, accountability, resourcefulness and trust, and has continued to make the state the safest most secure and most prosperous commercial location in Africa.
He said in the last three and a half years, LSSTF has provided 240 vehicles fully fitted with communication equipments, 230 motorbikes, 100 digital walkie-talkies with extra batteries, 167 push to talk cellular communication devices and 1,000 level IV bulletproof vest , 1,000 ballistic helmet ts and 100 ballistic fragmental vests, among others to keep the state safe.
He said th Lagos State government t committed N9.16 billion to social protection order to critically address contributors to crime such as substance abuse, youth unemployment and poor education to stamp out crime in the state.
He however lamented that the Trust Fund has a serious fund deficit that must be frontally addressed if the state must continue to provide safety for the people.
He urged the government to consider bringing every Lagosians on board as the Trust Fund can no longer rely on voluntary donations which has been affected by the harsh economic condition under which businesses have been operating.
He lamented that of the N74.773 billion budget approved by the senate for the Nigerian Police Trust Fund in 2021, only five vehicles and a few other equipments were distributed to the Lagos State Police Command despite the fact that a good number of the companies that made the bulk of the contributions to the Fund are located or have their head offices in Lagos.
“There is a limit to which we can manage no matter how much we try. That is why we urge everyone to ensure that they make donations to the Fund, if you truly believe in what we do. Please show that support for this noble assignment by making their donations and pledge to keep the state safe,” Balogun said.
In his own report of the activities of the Police Command under his watch in the year under review, the Commissioner of Police Mr Alabi said the command has continued to receive enormous support especially the provision of logistics received from. The government and the LSSTF.
Alabi said a total of 8,105 motorcycles were contravened in the year under review our of which 4,815 were impounded in June to September 2022, while 144 recalcitrant motorcycles operators and 40 passengers were arrested for contravening the traffic law and ban on okada operation declared by the state governor on June 15, 2022.