By Olaniyi Ajibola
The third American President, Thomas Jefferson, in recognition of the indispensability of consciousness at all times posited,” The cost of freedom is eternal Vigilance”. As one of the 5-man committee that drafted the Declaration of Independence for America in the year 1776 at the age of 33, Jefferson must have had satisfactory knowledge about the necessity of vigilance in the quest for freedom from shackles.
At present, Nigeria is under the shackles of insecurity, which is posing profound existential threat to the corporate entity, especially in the Northern part, with the surge of terrorism and banditry ravaging the region and portending a great danger to the rest of the country.
Meanwhile, it is a general knowledge that Ogun State remains the Gateway to Nigeria in all areas, from being the industrial capital of the most populous black nation in the world to being a transit state that connects every part of the country and the only neighbour of Lagos, the financial nerve centre of Nigeria.
According to experts, between 5 million and 6 million people visit the state on daily basis, making the State very vulnerable and densely populated with this level of influx of people of different backgrounds and orientations.
It is against this backdrop that the Governor of the State, Prince Dapo Abiodun, who doubles as the Chief Security Officer of the State in his usual manner rose to the occasion and swiftly moved to nip any unpleasant incident in the bud.
Of course, great thinkers conclude that,”The greatest litmus test of a great leader is ability to recognise problem before it becomes an emergency”. This thought indeed speaks to the leadership style of Governor Dapo Abiodun since he assumed office as Governor, moving proactively ahead of every situation and remains perpetually on top of it at all time.
The Governor, on Monday called the meeting of heads of security agencies and other critical stakeholders alike, to deliberate on topical issues of concerns in the state’s security architecture, to fine-tune appropriate steps to be taken towards securing the state.
Prince Dapo Abiodun, at the end of the extensive deliberations assured residents of the state that an all-inclusive security arrangement would be put in place to secure the state in view of the recent threat, noting that the state government will begin the documentation of all undocumented foreign nationals working with multinational companies operating in the state.
He also said new non-indigenes entering the state for the first time would undergo proper screening by their community leaders to ensure they are not used to orchestrate violence, stressing that government must know their purpose and means of livelihood.
To show the world that the state is practically in control of its security architecture, the Governor informed journalists at the briefing that about 70 foreigners, mostly from Niger Republic, Sudan, Mali and Chad, had been arrested in recent days after failing to provide clear explanations for their presence in the State.
Governor Abiodun said,” The law enforcement agencies have arrested, within the last three to four days, about 70 persons from Chad and Sudan who cannot even speak English and cannot explain what they are doing here.
“We are going to profile these individuals with the Nigeria Immigration Service.
“We will also be calling on our non-indigene communities to be more vigilant so that we know who is here and why they are here”.
Speaking specifically about shanties around the state which have allegedly become hideouts for criminals, the Governor directed police to immediately move into areas such as “Zanga” in Ijebu-Ode and similar areas across the state and clear them out, warning that properties used by criminals would henceforth be seized by the government.
The helmsman addressed the recent incident at Ajebo in Obafemi-Owode Local Government Area, as he assured the people of the state that security officers had visited the settlement to verify that its occupants pose no threat. He also assured that the state’s forest reserves would be thoroughly secured to prevent criminals from using them as hideouts.
Among areas of security concerns discussed at the meeting according to the Governor was the nefarious activities of the scrap dealers and scavengers. There are plethora of video evidence and eye witnesses’ accounts across Nigeria on how these scrap dealers perpetrate heinous acts in different communities, making them highly dangerous to the society.
Addressing this menace, the Governor said security agents would properly monitor their activities and engage them to ascertain individuals among them who may be aiding criminal networks.
”We discussed the issue of scavengers who have become more of a threat. Law enforcement agencies will pay particular attention to them. We will engage them to ensure they are not being used to perpetrate crimes in the state”.
In the same vein, the Governor spoke about the scourge of illegal mining in the state, saying that the government is aware that some miners operate as miscreants, and that the government is working with security agencies to flush out criminals from mining sites and forest reserves, he then appealed to residents to actively support community policing efforts by providing credible information to security agencies.
“Security is not the responsibility of security agents alone. We must work with them. We must report anything suspicious so law enforcement agents can respond promptly. We must be observant and be our brother’s keeper,” he said.
As a responsive and responsible leader, Governor Abiodun assured security agencies operating in the state of adequate supports in all areas of intervention, especially logistics as he has been doing.
The briefing would not have been comprehensively delivered without touching on the excesses and abuse of power by traditional rulers in their domains, who were fond of allocating government lands to strangers thereby undermining the state’s security architecture and making the state vulnerable, warning that whoever caught in the act would be held accountable in the face of law.
The commendation Governor Dapo Abiodun gave the hunters in the state was inspiring and encouraging, it reflected the innate knowledge of a leader who understands the place of community policing in national security arrangement.
Governor Dapo Abiodun glowingly praised Ogun hunters for their patriotism and consistency in flushing out criminal elements from forests across the state and their significant contributions to the peace and tranquility in the State.
The Governor concluded his briefing by eulogising the synergy among security agencies working in the state, as he applauded the swift and proactive response of President Bola Tinubu to array of security challenges facing the nation presently, as well as the brilliant way he has stabilized the economy.
All in all, Governor Dapo Abiodun has shown responsible leadership and capacity to be at the fore-front leading his people with vision , at the middle inspiring them with passion and at the back defending them with courage.
Kudos Omo Baba Teacher!
Ajibola is a Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Strategic Communications
