Kunle Adelabu
Residents of Igbogbo/Bayeku Local Council Development Area (LCDA) have been charged to see themselves as stakeholders responsible for ensuring security of lives and properties in the community.
Chairman of the Council, Builder Sesan Daini, and other speakers gave this charge at the inauguration of Odusanya Abdulateef Omotayo as the Coordinator of the Humanitarian Voluntary Association for Community Development (HUVACOD) and his executive council for the chapter of the group in Igbogbo/Bayeku LCDA.
The event was held at the Adeboruwa palace on Monday, January 3, 2020.
The event, which was organized by the HUVACOD in collaboration with the Igbogbo/Bayeku LCDA and themed, ‘ Nigeria and the fight against insecurity: the role of the citizens ‘, was also used to interact and sensitise residents on the need to be security conscious.
Newly inaugurated members of the HUVACOD executive council charged with the responsibilities of creating awareness and sensitizing residents on security and other community development activities are Michael Ayeni (Deputy Coordinator), Omolara Faniyi (Secretary), Mosunmola Omotayo (Financial Secretary), Funmi Bakere (PRO), Abolore Bolowotan (Organisation Secretary), Busola Otayomi (Assistant Secretary)
Others are Ayomide Marian (Assistant Organising Secretary), Muri Balogun (Treasurer) and Badmus Hammed (Head of Media).
Builder Sesan Dani, Chairman, Igbogbo/Bayeku LCDA, declaring the event open, stated that the greatest challenge facing Nigerians and the country is insecurity and charged every resident to be security conscious.
“Our greatest concern in the country today is insecurity all over the states and that’s why we are gathered here today (Monday)”
“At a meeting with the Commissioner of Police recently, we were enjoined “to go back to community security system in tackling security challenges in our communities.
“This is going to be procedural in the sense that we are going to engage different stakeholders in the community at different levels. This is the first stage of security awareness stages that we have identified and that’s why we have invited people across different segments of our community”.
Daini, while stating that residents also have a role to play in securing the community, stated that, “Security is no more with the police, army and LNSC alone, but with every one of us”.
Speaking on the enforcement of the state government’s ban on ‘Okada’ and ‘Keke Marwa’, the council helmsman stated that he is going to engage other five chairmen in the division to discuss with the Area N Commandant and Divisional Police Officers (DPOs) in the division on ways of enforcing the ban to prevent the situation from degenerating into crisis.
State Coordinator of HUVACOD, Comrade Tinubu, stated that the group, which according to him, was formed in 1957 by the likes of Prof Abisogun Leigh, is set to champion community development activities, including security.
“Since security is a major issue in Nigeria today, we decided to champion the cause”, he stated.
Odusanya Abdulateef Omotayo, the newly inaugurated Coordinator, HUVACOD, lgbogbo/Bayeku LCDA, stated that the recent ban of ‘Okada’ and ‘Keke Marwa’ should be the of concern of every resident.
“The issue of security has been a major concern and in recent time, the state government policy in banning ‘Okada’ has also added to the security concern.
“These okada riders that will not be opportune to ride their motorcycles again will definitely remain in our environment and who know what they will be engaging in. We must also know those that are still into it but who are not known to us in our community”, he stated.
“We will soon embark on operation ‘know your neighbor’, but before we start, we deem it fit to parley with the traditional institutions, church leaders, Muslim leaders, students and others to sensitise them on the need to be security conscious”, he stated while charging the residents of Igbogbo on security.
Comrade Chris Ibe, the guest lecturer on the theme of the event, in his lecture, condemned the posting of police and personnel of other security agencies in the country to areas they have no knowledge about, describing such act as part of what is causing insecurity.
The guest lecturer stated that ‘Amotekun’, the security system recently launched by the six Southwest States in the country, must be embraced by every peace-loving and security conscious Nigerian.
He also charged residents to engage in community policing to safeguard lives and properties in the community.
Mr Olwakemi Hassan, a National Assembly aide who also spoke on the topic, also charged residents in various communities to domicile their security system.
“We all have a role to play in regarding the issue of security as residents of a particular community.
“Community people should not leave security issue to council chairmen and security agencies alone. There is need for traditional chiefs, CDAs, schools and others to get involved”, he said.
“The issue of security is a community issue which everyone must involve in. We all have responsibilities as residents”.
He also charged parents to watch their wards’ conducts, company and behaviours while he also called for more participation from residents in securing the community to ensure sustained efforts in tackling insecurity.
“There is need for continuous parley among people within a particular environment to appraise security situations in that community”, he stated.
Hassan also advocated for quick reporting of any suspicious activity by any resident to traditional chiefs and police for quick action.
At the stakeholders’ parley, facilitated by Rilwan Tinubu, HUVACOD State Coordinator, and Akadiri Babatunde Adeleke, HUVACOD Ikorodu Coordinator, were Oba Semiudeen Orimadegun Kasali, the Adeboruwa of Igbogbo, High Chief Tajudeen Onasanya, the Odofin of Igbogbo, the Otunba of Igbogbo, Chief Obayomi, Balogun of Igbogbo, Chief Jelili Oduntan and other members of Adeboruwa-in-Council, Baales, notable dignitaries and residents.
Also at the event were representatives of Community Development Committee (CDC) and Community Development Associations (CDAs), students, youth groups, market men and women and artisans among others.
