L-R: Ekiti State Commissioner of Police, Sontoye Wakama; Speaker, State House of Assembly, Dr. Adewale Ominrin; Governor Kayode Fayemi; Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji (Dr) Ganiyu Owolabi; Chief of Staff, Mr. Yemi Adaramodu; and Commander, 32 Artillery Battalion, Col. Saheed Aduku, during the Stakeholder’s Meeting on Security, in Ado Ekiti.
As part of measures to beef up security of lives and property of its citizens, Ekiti State government has disclosed its plan to install surveillance cameras in strategic parts of the state; making the state a no-go area for men of the underworld.
The State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi made this known in Ado –Ekiti, Ekiti State capital, on Tuesday during a stakeholders’ meeting with traditional rulers, security agencies and representatives of different sub-ethnic groups as well as transport unions in the State.
Governor Fayemi who also announced that he just got a message from the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Azubuike Ihejirika, informing him of the President’s approval on the establishment of a Military base in the State, said the proposed camera which operation would first begin in Ado- Ekiti, will help security agencies in tracking and curbing crime.
He stressed that there was need to beef up security in the state in order to curb spill-over of crimes from neighbouring states, especially as the Ekiti State is the gateway between the South-West and the northern part of the country.
Fayemi announced that the men of the Nigerian Army will now have patrol points in all the boundary towns in the state to prevent criminals from creeping in from neighbouring states.
The meeting which lasted for about six hours, according to Governor Fayemi was necessitated by the need for collaboration among the different stakeholders and security agencies in the state, adding that a similar meeting will also be held with political parties in order to douse the tension that may arise in view of the forthcoming 2014 governorship election in the state.
Fayemi added that the state government is in talks with the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to obtain emergency lines for citizens to communicate with security agencies as well as men of the newly revitalised State Fire Service and Paramedics.
On citizens’ complaints about the way some security agents allegedly divulge identities of informants, the Governor said the state government would soon send a bill to the State’s House of Assembly for witness protection as many of the stakeholders asserted that people were no longer ready to give information to security agencies.
In his remarks, the State Commissioner of Police, Mr Sotonye Wakama urged residents not to leave the security of lives and property to security agencies alone but collaborate with them, especially in giving out information to the agencies.
Wakama who assured citizens that he would work on all information given the Police on crimes gave out 08062335577 as the distress number citizens should call to report any case of insecurity.
Also speaking, the co-chairman of the Nigerian Inter-Religious Council, Bishop Felix Ajakaye warned journalists against sensational news reporting, saying that media reports of security issues should be done objectively.
At the meeting were the Speaker of the State Assembly, Dr Adewale Omirin, traditional rulers across the state, the Commissioner of Police, the State Director of State Security Services (SSS), representative of the Commander of the Nigerian Army 33 Artillery Okitipupa, the State Commandant of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps and the State Comptroller of Immigration among others.
Last modified: May 1, 2013
