Governor Ajimobi of Oyo State has again restated the need for community policing and vigilance by members of the public as an antidote for kidnapping, armed robbery and other rampant crimes in the society.
Ajimobi stated this while receiving a police delegation led by the Assistant Inspector General of Police, Zone 11, Mr. Agboola Oshodi-Glover, in his office, on Tuesday.
A statement made available to journalists by Communication team in the office of the governor Wednesday evening maintained that the governor had earlier received the Corps Marshal of the Federal Roads Safety Commission (FRSC) Dr. Boboye Oyeyemi, during when he called on the commission to develop a database for easy distribution of drivers’ license throughout the country.
Ajimobi who said his administration had put the security of lives and property on the front burner since he came on board, added that the support and cooperation of citizens were essential for the law enforcement agents to nip crimes in the bud.
According to him, the administration had made regular support for the state police command and sister security agencies a deliberate policy because of the premium it attached to peace and security, which, he said, were the prerequisite for the socio-economic development of the state.
“We have been having a very cordial relationship with the police as well as other security agencies in the state. Without any equivocation, I can say that the logistic support the security agencies have been receiving since we came into office is unprecedented.
“We also appreciate them for their exemplary performance in securing the lives and property of our people. However, my appeal to the people of the state is to join hands with the law enforcement agencies to make their jobs easier.
“I’m an advocate of community policing. Eternal vigilance by residents is essential for the sustenance of peace and security across the state. It is better to be preventive than to rely on force. We can achieve more by networking with the local people who should report suspicious movements within their localities.”
While commending the law enforcement agencies for their efforts at tackling crimes so far, the governor restated the plan by the state to install closed circuit television (CCTV) in black spots and business districts in the state.
Ajimobi disclosed that the planned installation was part of the safe city project initiative that the state had just embraced, the modality of which, he said, he would discuss with the police soon.
The AIG in his remarks lauded the leadership quality of the governor, as well as what he called his noteworthy support for the state police command, which, he said, had contributed to the performance of the officers and men in curbing criminal activities.
In the performance of his role as the Chief Security Officer of the state, the police boss said that the governor’s leadership and commitment to crime fighting were “highly commendable and exemplary.”
While speaking during the visit with FRSC boss, the governor called on the commission to develop its own database for easy distribution of drivers’ license throughout the country.
According to the governor, it would be in the interest of the corps to develop a database, which, according to him, would help in solving a lot of security challenges confronting the country.
“It will be in your interest to develop a database. I believe that licenses, as we have it in America and other developed countries, should contain a lot of information through which many issues like crime fighting and census could be attended to.
“Information technology is pivotal to your organization’s success, and by having a lot of information on licenses, many problems will be solved in Nigeria.”
Oyeyemi while responding declared that the FRSC team was on advocacy visit to the governor to enlist his support for the creation of more awareness and sensitization of road users on safe driving and prevention of accidents.
He commended the contribution of the governor to the approval of the Nigeria Roads Safety Strategy, which was approved last year by the Federal Government.
The corps marshal applauded the Ajimobi-led administration’s success story in the face of the paucity of fund and called for more support for the state government.
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