News: Lagos commissions FESTAC Police Post

Arthur Worrey commissioning the police post

LAGOS State Government has commissioned a newly constructed Abuja Type III Police Station in the FESTAC area of the State, as it laments the unfair structure of the federal government budget in its allocation to security.

Presiding over the commissioning recently, Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola, SAN, who was represented at the event by the Executive Secretary, Lagos State Security Trust Fund, Mr. Fola Arthur Worrey said that the federal government has not demonstrated beyond mere words of mouth its determination to raise the security level in the country.

The Governor disclosed that the Lagos State Government has resolved to make life worth living for its citizens through its constant support for the Nigerian Police Force in spite of the State’s limited resources and the barricades placed on effective security by the federal government.

“We recognised that no serious state government should, because of the negligence of the federal government, fold its arms and allow lives and property of its citizens wander away or suffer loss. Lagos State has consistently supported the police in the provision of structures, mobility, communication, maintenance and sustenance. In fact, we are gradually becoming the management arm of the police,” he stated.

The handing over, the Governor said, would complement the efforts of the Area ‘E’ Police Command and neighbouring police stations to provide adequate security to lives and property of all residents and investors in FESTAC, which now serves as a natural habitat for investors and commercial activities because of its proximity to the airports, seaports and ECOWAS corridor.

Fashola disclosed that issue of security is not a task that is limited to government alone and, as such, individuals are also responsible for the maintenance of security within their immediate communities through cooperation with members of the various security agencies and giving them relevant and timely information on activities of questionable characters within the communities.

Accepting the new police station on behalf of the Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Police Command, the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Lawal Lado attributed the security and reduced crime rate in the state to the support of the State government to the Force through provision of policing apparatus and by bringing police services closer to the people in order to further enhance security rate.

He described the supports received from the Lagos State Government as “uncommon”, stressing that the periodic assistance from the government would further spur officers of the Force into more action and assiduous fight against crime.

The Executive Secretary of Amuwo-Odofin Local Council, Mrs. Modupe Ajibola-Ojodu described the security state of Amuwo-Odofin as “sinking” which, according to her, would be restored now with the new police post.

“Policing requires the support of everyone, a nation cannot move forward if its police officers are not well taken care of or given the conducive working atmosphere. In other words, a peaceful atmosphere will in no small measure aid the effectiveness of the police” she said.

Also speaking at the event, Hon. Sultan Adeniji-Adele, representing Amuwo-Odofin in the State House of Assembly, commended the interventory role of the State Government to assist residents of the area in the completion of the police post that had been under construction for over 10 years.

“I want to tell you affirmatively as a resident of this area that 7th Avenue, being the last Avenue in FESTAC, was originally known for different notorious activities in the past. Having a police post in the area would forestall the incidences of robbery and insecurity” he stated.

Youths of Amuwo Odofin however pleaded with the State Government to also consider the empowerment and rehabilitation of youths in the area. This they said would drastically curb crime rate to its barest minimum.

Seventh Avenue is one of the boundary avenues that formed the limits of the roughly rectangular FESTAC Phase 1. This boundary borders large swathes of swamp that provide shelter for criminal activities.