Monday letter1
Ogun State government under the leadership of Prince Dapo Abiodun has announced that the state would hence forth have a zero tolerance for criminality, cultism, kidnappings and other unwholesome attitudes in the state.
Not too long ago, precisely the 23rd and 24th of July and 1 August, 12 cases of kidnappings were reported in the state, with the governor sweeping into action and seeking assistance from the President and the Inspector General of Police.
The assistance the governor asked from President Muhammadu Buhari availed the state an opportunity to have an helicopter released to the state Police Command through the Inspector General of Police. The helicopter helped the search team that comprised the Police and vigilance groups excel, with intelligence report coming from the Department of State Services.
The governor said that the two cases of kidnappings that occurred in the state were a test of the resolve of his administration to secure the state and the state has demonstrated in clear terms its strong commitment to ensure that it continues to be secured for the people and all those who have made the state their home.
It is heartwarming that the state is committed to creating the enabling environment for a public-private partnership, which in turn would aid the economic growth of the state and the individual prosperity of the people. It is also important to note that the state do appreciate the pivotal and vital role of security.
Because a secured environment is imperative towards the promotion of investments, the Prince Abiodun-led government considers security as one of the topmost agenda, an agenda that will help the state to continue to ensure that the people go about their legitimate enterprises and businesses.
The governor irrevocably affirmed in clear terms that no part of the state would be a safe haven for criminals and criminality in whatever form as long as it is within the corridor of the state. He pointed out that the security agencies and their full-fledged manpower would be used to smoke, arrest and hand the criminals over and dealth with according to the law.
In doing this, Abiodun disclosed that the people should corporate, collaborate and synergize with law enforcement agencies, by giving them useful information of any suspicious movement of people.
It is worthy to also note that few neighborhoods do have houses where young men with big cars live. They don’t go to work in the morning, they work at midnight, mostly with laptops. Some have even gone a mile ahead with what is now known as #’Plus it’ ; when they plus it, they tend to go an extra mile to retain their wealth.
It is disheartening that some landlords and property owners even prefer to let their property out to these set of young men, not minding the havoc they can cause. Well, to be forewarned is to be forearmed.
Oluwafunso Obasan, Ogun State Ministry of Information and Strategy
