• Friday, March 29, 2024
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Security remains priority for us in 2020, says Sanwo-Olu

Sanwo-olu: Showing leadership during COVID-19 pandemic

Security of lives and properties will continue to receive priority attention in Lagos in 2020, the state governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu has said.

Sanwo-Olu stated this after the state security council, which he chairs, met to review the progress made in 2019, with an assurance to up their game in 2020. The council comprises heads of security agencies in Lagos, including the police, army, navy, air force and Department of Security Service (DSS), all of whom agreed that the strategies adopted in the out-gone year, yielded positive results, as there was a reduction in the spate of crime in Nigeria’s biggest commercial city.

According to Sanwo-Olu, some of the security challenges inherited by his administration at inception had been largely contained, but added that his government was not resting in the task of keeping the state safe for business and living.

The governor acknowledged that incessant kidnapping was part of the security challenges facing the state when he took over in May 2019. He noted that strategies deployed by the government to confront the scourge had significantly brought down kidnapping and led to positive reviews of the crime in the final quarter of the out-gone year.

“As the chief security officer of the state, I can confirm that strategies adopted by the security council have made Lagos safer than it was when we took over. We will continue to make the state secure for all law-abiding residents and visitors.”

Corroborating the governor, Hakeem Odumosu, Commissioner of Police (CP), in charge of the Lagos command, submitted that said security operatives was able to weaken the capacity of kidnappers in the state, adding that the council remained vigilant to consolidate on the progress achieved.

Read also: New Year’s Day address By BABATUNDE SANWO-OLU

He said: “Kidnapping has gone down drastically; those coming to Lagos for businesses should know that they are safe. But, we remain vigilant. We believe it is still the collective effort of everyone to ensure kidnapping becomes a thing of the past in Lagos.”

Odumosu also disclosed that implementation of the state government’s amnesty offered repentant secret cultists would start this new year, noting that the amnesty would be complemented with an integration programme for the pardoned cultists.

The CP explained that the security council would come up with a new policy to curtail the activities of commercial motorcycles (Okada), and tricycles (Keke) on the highways. This, he said, would be rolled out within the first four weeks in 2020.

“We are introducing a policy to contain the menace of Okada riders and tricycles, and this policy will be fully implemented. We will be unveiling the plan in a few weeks and it will be sustainable.

The plan will not be without a human-face, but we expect all the commercial motorcycle operators to comply with the policy,” Odumosu said.

He noted that stringent measures would, in the new year, be taken against those driving against traffic flow (one-way), as the practice constituted a major security threat in Lagos.

“While we roll out more security plans to keep everyone safe, we urge members of the public to be security conscious. We have reviewed the progress and setbacks we recorded in the out-gone year, but we will be deploying more strategies this year to ensure improved performance in our security operations across the state,” said the police chief.

 

FG begins demolition under Lagos bridges

 

The Federal Government on Friday began demolition of illegal fences under some bridges in Lagos.

The demolition exercise began with a fence of about 250 metres built under the descent of the Apongbon Bridge on the CMS-bound carriageway on Lagos Island.

The fence which was still under construction had been raised by seven to eight coaches on various sections.

Some officials wearing the tags: “Toll Royalty Car Park Technologies” were, however, seen challenging the process but were told by the engineer supervising the team to direct their complaints to the federal ministry of works.

Musiliat Aloba, a senior engineer in the ministry who led a team of engineers and security operatives on the exercise, said that she was acting on instruction to ensure that under the bridges were visible.

“I am not directed to speak to anyone. Please come to the federal ministry of works,’’ she said.

The demolition team went further to demolish fences stretching about 300 metres under the Obalende/Apongbon Flyover Bridge on the CMS-bound carriageway.

 However, there was misunderstanding with the commencement of demolition of fences under the ramp of the CMS Bridge which was nearing completion on some sections.

Some workmen on site who tried to resist the demolition argued that it was a legal project which had approval.

Aloba explained her assignment insisting that “nothing must block under the bridges’’.

“When you conceal the bridge, nobody can see what happens under. The Federal Government has lost so much money due to burnt bridges,’’ she explained.

Federal Controller of Works in Lagos,Adedamola Kuti, who spoke on the exercise,  said that the removal of illegal structures under bridges was a continuous exercise.

Kuti explained that the ministry began the demolition in 2018, saying that it was aimed as safeguarding the bridges from all forms of abuses causing damage to them.

He debunked claims by some people who said they had approval to build structures under any bridge in Lagos state.

“Under the bridges belong to the Federal Government and the federal ministry of works ordered the demolition of illegal structures under the bridges in Lagos,’’ said Kuti.