APC Govs Prepare Framework to Tackle Insecurity, Agree on Community Policing

APC Govs Prepare Framework to Tackle  Insecurity, Agree on Community Policing

By Adedayo Akinwale

The Progressives Governors Forum (PGF) has said that it would prepare a framework as part of its plans to tackle insecurity in all the All Progressives Congress (APC) controlled States after agreeing on community policing.

The governor of Plateau State, Simon Lalong, disclosed this on Friday while briefing jornalists at the end of the 1st quarterly meeting of PGF Governance Programme Steering Committee meeting, organised to approve the proposed 2020 work plan and programme of activities.

Lalong who is also the co-chairman of the committee said that the committee was mandated to design policies for implementation for good governance in APC states.

He stated: “Here, we are not talking about Amotekun, we are talking about general insecurity and so once we laid the foundation for the APC states and it is approved, then we will begin to talk about implementation.

“What we are laying down now in the framework is general insecurity because we are not unmindful of the situation in the country. That is, for every year, we make a framework and tell them these are things that are current and these are things that APC governors should adopt in terms of preparing their budget and also in governance in their States.

“On general term, what we did after presentation from security agencies is, all of us appear to be talking about community policing. That one we are all agreed on. So, we don’t want situation where you start doing something and the federal government will say you are doing outside the law just like what they said about Amotekun. It is now that they are going to dialogue. Even if they are doing that, it has to be within the law.”

Lalong noted that as far as the governors are concerned, what is within the law is the issue of community policing, which they had all agreed on.

He explained that he had been using community policing for a very long time in Plateau State and it has proven to be very effective.

The governor added that he has three security outfits under him, including Operation Safe Haven established by the federal government, Operation Rainbow – which is like community policing; stressing that while Operation Safe Haven and Police are answerable to the federal government, Operation Rainbow is answerable to the Governor, which is a combination of different security organisations.

Lalong also decried the killing of students and religious leaders by the Boko Haram insurgents, describing it as unfortunate.

“We have made strong appeal to the security agencies to go back to those places because we do not expect Boko Haram to be more superior than our security agencies.”

On his part, Jigawa State governor and co-chairman of the committee, Abubakar Badaru, revealed that there is a standing committee that is looking at security that involves not only APC governors but all governors in the federation.

He added: “I think security is peculiar to each state. It depends on each state, what they believe will work for them, some will want Amotekun, some will want dialogue, Jigawa we don’t need any. We cannot say it’s a policy that all APC states will take – depends on your peculiarities, what will work for you to protect lives and property.”

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