Determined to ensure security of lives and property in Ogun, the state governor, Dapo Abiodun, has reiterated that his administration would continue to support operations of security agencies with logistics and equipment that would be necessary to improve their operations in the state.
He equally declared that his administration would continue to do more to collaborate with efforts of security agencies in the state towards finding solutions to the various security challenges confronting the state and the country as a whole.
Abiodun made this known during the 2nd Quarter of the State Directors of Security Conference, South West zone, held in Abeokuta,on Thursday.
He said that it is the belief of his administration that partnership between government and the private sector would help to drive the development of the country.
“As a matter of fact, we will continue to promote partnership between our dear state and all other states in the southwest and particularly other states in the nation. We believe that partnership between government at all levels across boundaries and between government and private sector would drive development faster.
“Even though security matters are on the exclusive list of the Federal Government, we however cannot afford to drop our guards at this period of global challenges, we will do more to collaborate with your efforts towards finding solutions to the various security challenges that face us as a country,” he said
The governor disclosed that his administration launched the Lagos-Ogun Joint Development Commission to tackle insecurity among other issues, as well as with the Oyo State government to tackle insecurity at the border areas, noting that his administration opted to do so because of the status of Ogun as the Gateway State.
Abiodun who further noted that the efforts and measures of his administration to tackle insecurity have continued to help his administration to achieve relative peace in the state, said that “whatever happens in the state will easily have ripple effects across other states in the southwest”.
The governor while saying that crime fighting is not only about guns and ammunition, noted that there is a nexus between crime, unemployment, illiteracy, poverty and drug abuse.
He explained that his administration has made job creation an important part of the ‘Building the Future Together’ Agenda of his administration, adding his government has created a policy that would ensure that all projects executed by his administration are done through direct labour, thereby engaging and occupying the people.
Abiodun stressed that an improved security in the state and the international border is important to the country and the West African region, commending the Federal Government under the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari for demonstrating its commitment towards ensuring the security of lives and properties in the country.
Speaking on behalf of Ogun State service commanders, the Ogun State Commissioner of Police, Lanre Bankole, said that the security commanders in the state had over the years been able to foster a formidable synergy to intimidate criminals in the state.
Bankole while noting that the atmosphere in the state had made it possible for the successes recorded by security agencies at tackling insecurity, said “the security agencies owe the synergy to the support they have received from the state government under the leadership of Governor Abiodun.
Earlier, Director of the Department of State Security in Ogun, Femi Aaron, noted that intelligence sharing and inter-agency collaboration would go a long way in solving challenges that might arise in the country.
Aaron pointed out that the use of technology has been a major challenge to tackle insecurity in time past as a result of the problem associated with the purchase and import of technical equipment, adding that the coming on board of an indigenous technology company situated in the state had made it easier for technology to be used to tackle insecurity.
