CROPPING THE PRECARIOUS SECURITY SITUATION ON THE FOREHEAD OF THE OFFICERS AND MEN OF THE NIGERIA POLICE FORCE AND OTHER SISTER AGENCIES,WHAT IS OUR OWN RESPONSIBILITIES (1)
CROPPING THE PRECARIOUS SECURITY SITUATION ON THE FOREHEAD OF THE OFFICERS AND MEN OF THE NIGERIA POLICE FORCE AND OTHER SISTER AGENCIES,WHAT IS OUR OWN RESPONSIBILITIES (1)
Nigeria Police Force remains one of the internationally accepted organization believed to be professionally well trained internally and externally, if their various international engagements during peace maintenance and enforcement is anything to go by.
On crime detection,cyber crime prevention and detection,investigation,VIP protection,etc,Nigeria Police is one of the best in the world.
Without being immodest,the least paid Nigeria Police man should not earn less than Five Thousand Naira per month,but this assertion comes up for expansive discussion in a very short distance time.
As if to say that Nigeria Police Officers and men are thoroughly trained, of course yes!.A well trained “doctor”,without any equipment to work in the hospital,then more fatalities should be expected.
Ondo State as a case study,as at the time of writing this piece,the Police in the state has less than six functioning patrol vehicles to police all the nooks,crannies and obscure parts of the Sunshine State.
While,over twenty badly damaged patrol vehicles littered the streets of the Sunshine State,Police Divisions as well as the Command’s Headquarters in Akure,the Ondo Capital.
The Ondo State Command do spend lots of cash “personally” on fuel for all the hired vehicles,they intermittently used to at least secure the state with the daily renewed methods of operations by the unscrupulous elements living with us in our neighbourhoods.
A stitch in time saves nine,this is the right time , the Ondo State Government should rise up to the challenge and provide enough Patrol Vehicles for the usage of the Police.
From the whooping amount of money accrue-able to the coffer of the State Government from the Federal Government on monthly bases ,providing security for all and sundry should not be cumbersome for the State Government under the O’dirorun,O’datwa (Ease) Government of His Excellency Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa.
There is no doubt that the government has a lot of challenges in term of providing social and stomach infrastructure for the good people of Ondo State,but that should not take preferences over security.Becuase nothing tangible can be achieved in a precarious security situation.
The Police in Ondo State should be provided with various technical supports including drones.The obsolete method of running after criminals with Touch and Light,Baton,over fifty years old Ak47 etc are longer obtainable internationally,because crimes all over the world have assumed another dangerous trends and dimensions.
With the upsurge in the numbers of Investors coming to Ondo State to especially invest in Agriculture,the State Government must situp with a view to providing relevant technical support and utility patrol vehicles for the police to be able to withstand the latest emerging trends to combat insecurity.
The allegedly Fulani killer herdsmen and their indigenous collaborators are on the prowl again!.The Ondo State Members of the House of Assembly must act fact,and enact laws that will compel our Dukes( Baales/Olus) in the rural and agrarian communities in Ondo State,to profile all herdsmen and other non- indigene,in their villages,huts and hamlets.This will go along way at assisting the police and other sister agencies to arrest and prosecute offenders.
Like Lagos State and some states of the Federal Republic, the Ondo State Government can establish Police Trust Fund,where financial resources can obtained to equip the Police.
It is really out of it for police personnel to be using their hard earned salaries to hire and fuel vehicles to patrol and secure Ondo State.
“To whom much is expected,much must equally be given to him”.
Permit me to withdraw this PEN momentarily.
From Adefemi Ojopagogo
A Journalist and immediate past President Association of Independent Newspaper Publishers of Nigeria,Ondo State Council.
