Kwara Speaker Bemoans
Kwara Speaker Bemoans Growing Insecurity
The Speaker, Kwara state House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Salihu
Yakubu Danladi, has bemoaned the growing insecurity in the Country,
stressing that all hands must be on deck to arrest the tide.
The Speaker, who made this disclosure during his familiarisation
visit to heads of security formations in the State earlier today,
pledged the support of the 9th Assembly towards ensuring the
continued security of lives and properties in the State.
The Speaker who visited the Kwara state Commissioner of Police,
Director of the Department of State Security (DSS), Commandant of
the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Zonal
Commandant of the Federal Road Safety Cops (FRSC) and the Commander
of the Nigeria Airforce, alongside the Deputy Speaker, Majority
Leader and Whip of the House, charged security agencies to never
hesitate to collaborate with the community and all relevant
stakeholders towards guaranteeing a safer Kwara.
Hon Salihu, in his address to the Security Chiefs ,acknowledged
the good work the various security outfits have been doing to
ensure the security of lives and properties of the people of Kwara
state.
He,however, noted that with the upsurge in the mode and scale of
criminality in virtually all neighboring states to Kwara, the State
is exposed to serious security threats, hence, the need for
collaborative efforts and proactiveness to manage this threat.
“We were not acquainted with banditry but now we have bandits,
kidnappers, ritual killers and all sorts in most of the North
Central and South Western states.
Our geographical location exposes us to a time bomb which we
must arrest before it explodes. Kwara is a border community to the
Northern and Southern axis where there are security crisis, we want
stronger security presence in these border communities”,he
said.
.
The Speaker added that “there are lots of criminal activities on
Ilesha baruba – Gwanara road, some part of the Southern Kwara roads
have been reported to be security flash points. Our borders are
porous and expose us to security threat, we don’t want the peaceful
nomenclature of Kwara state to be history”. He further advocates
for human rights protection in the cause of discharging their
duties.
Hon. Salihu said the 9th Assembly was seriously concerned about
the issues of street trading ,considering the security implications
and pledge that he and his colleagues will make efforts to stop it.
“As for overloading, and all sorts of traffic offences, by the time
there is State cabinet in place, the 9th Assembly will put them on
check to address them”, he said.
He added that this new government will change the tides of
events, reiterating that “there will be improvement and the coming
years would be better than the last 16years.
In his remark, the Kwara state Commissioner of Police, Kayode
Egbetokun expressed delight to receive leadership of the 9th Kwara
Assembly and assured his maximum cooperation. He noted that the
Police have been securing the border and communities by engaging
the people and repose the confidence of police in the people so
they can volunteer useful information. He added that “apart from
border, Kwara has ungoverned forest reserves that are now converted
to criminal havens, the criminal being pushed away in South West
are infiltrating other neighboring state, including Kwara and they
have raised the alarm to ensure Kwara is not invaded”.
He implored the 9th Assembly to use their influence to get
government support for the Police, noting they have got almost no
support of government since he came. He affirmed that he will
continue to “police the police” to ensure they don’t extort or
abuse human rights.
The Kwara State DSS Director, Abdulmumini Abdullahi in his
remarks assured the Command’s support for the 9th Kwara Assembly in
areas of necessary information and intelligence gathering that will
aid the delivery of their challenging task.
Abdullahi called for the support of the legislature in term of
legislations that will enhance effective intelligence gathering and
security efforts, noting that security is a combined
responsibility, in term of legislations that will enhance effective
intelligence gathering and security efforts.
The Kwara State NSCDC Commandant, Bello Ale in his reaction said
the Hon. Speaker’s admonitions have boosted their morales.
Given his experience with the Niger Delta, the NSCDC boss
submitted that he was marveled by the extreme peaceful nature of
Kwara State and pledged to uphold that, adding that NSCDC is closer
to the grassroots than any other security outfits in the country
though with smaller number. He however lamented the lack of
government support, noting that “it is only in Kwara that
government has not supported their operations but despite that,
they have delivered”.
The FRSC Zonal Commandant, Asst. Corps Marshal Amauche Nwaka in
her own remark charge the Kwara state House of Assembly on
legislation on street trading, reiterating the security
implications. She also decried the lack of road signage, vehicles
overloading among others which requires legislative approaches to
enhance their efforts in ensuring saver roads and highways.
The State Airforce Commander, Air Commodore HB Adamu, in his
reaction appreciates prioritization of visiting Security Chiefs by
the 9th Assembly leadership. He lamented lack of cooperative
efforts from the past government of the state, citing delinquency
in support provision for Operation Harmony as a reference, he noted
that the previous government last contributed to it last year
December. He added that the little resources from the State
government is what they use in maintaining the Opeartion Harmony
patrol van and pay Soldiers who are participating. He recounts
discovery of illegal miners around Patigi and Kaiama as part of the
successes of Operation Harmony.
Signed:
Ibrahim Sheriff .A.
Special Assistant, Media to the Speaker, Kwara state House of
Assembly