Security expert Dr. Ona Ekhomu has been conferred with the Award of Yoruba Youth’s Ambassador of Peace 2020/2021 in recognition of his efforts at creating security awareness among Nigerians.
Presenting the honor in Lagos last Wednesday, the President of Yoruba Youth Assembly (YYA), Hon. Olarinde Thomas said the security warnings and alerts that Dr. Ekhomu had been issuing about insecurity in Nigeria for over 40 years have unfortunately proven to be accurate as the threats have now materialised into loss events.
Olarinde said that he could not believe that a time would come in Nigeria when traveling from Ibadan to Ile Ife would be an extremely hazardous undertaking.
He said that Dr. Ekhomu had warned about this precarious and dangerous condition but the Nigerian government and people did not listen.
Dr. Ekhomu who is the President of Association of Industrial Security and Safety Operators of Nigeria (AISSON), was described as a patriot who correctly diagnosed the security challenges of the country and offered advice to Nigerians on how to protect themselves.
Olarinde said that the solution to insecurity in Nigeria did not lie with foreign consultants who the governments are fond of inviting but with patriots like Dr. Ekhomu who have a longitudinal view of the problem.
The Yoruba Youth Assembly (YYA) President urged Dr. Ekhomu not to relent in preaching the doctrine of security awareness for the benefit of Nigerian citizens as the security challenges ahead are greater.
He said that before now security threats used to impact the rich. However with poor farmers and rural dwellers now threatened, attacked and killed in their farms and homes, the threats were now ubiquitous.
He charged the awardee to urgently develop innovative security solutions and to partner with the government and citizens to mitigate the threats so as to make Nigeria liveable and enjoyable once again.
Dr. Ekhomu, who was represented at the award ceremony by the Trustee of Association of Industrial Security and Safety Operators of Nigeria (AISSON)/Managing Director of Trans-World Security Systems Ltd, Dame Victoria O. Ekhomu thanked the Yoruba Youths Assembly (YYA) for the honor.
He pledged to help secure and safeguard corporate and national assets at this time when insecurity has become a major challenge. “We shall continue to contribute our quota” he added.
