James Sowole in Abeokuta
A governorship aspirant of All Progressives Congress (APC), Modele arafa-Yusuf yesterday reeled out antidotes to stem the rising tide of insecurity and unemployment in Ogun State if elected the governor of the state.
Sarafa-Yusuf, the immediate past Special Adviser on Information to Governor Dapo Abiodun, suggested a security plan, which would provide for pursuing youth-focused policies, guaranteeing food security, improving preventive healthcare and mainstreaming environmental protection.
He made this suggestion in a statement he personally signed yesterday, lamenting the orgy of violence in Ogun State, which had in recent times left her heartbroken and worried for the future
She said Ogun State’s strength “is in location, land, natural resources & human resources. For a state so blessed, what we witness in cult and gang-related activities, ritual killings are totally unacceptable.
“Security of lives and property is the number one duty of a responsible government. We must do more to keep the citizenry safe and the state secure in order to retain the current investment levels and attract more.
“In most societies, criminal offending and victimisation are disproportionately concentrated among individuals with low socio-economic status living in economically disadvantaged areas,” Modele arafa-Yusuf said.
In Ogun state, the governorship hopeful noted that the youth “comprises about 70 per cent of the population with the majority being underemployed and unemployed. By the way, young people are three times more likely than adults to be unemployed.
“Because mass unemployment and underemployment exacerbate inequalities and fuel a sense of resentment, unemployed and underemployed people are often more at risk of depression, anxiety and stress.
“These occasionally lead to violence. It is my view that tackling unemployment and underemployment is a first step to keeping us all safe,” she said.
She, therefore, recommended action plans to tackle insecurity, which according to her, would include building smart cities to ensure high levels of surveillance and well-coordinated responses.
She also recommended motivating and incentivising the law enforcement agencies and encouraging collaboration between government and the private sector to ensure the funding & effective management of the Ogun State Security Trust Fund (STF).
She suggested that her government would ensure all the police divisions and area commands had the required logistics including operational vehicles and communication equipment to discharge their duties.
She expressed the strong will to train and equip the operatives of the Western Nigeria Security Network (Operation Amotekun) to complement Police efforts.
She said: “Going back to my initial train of thoughts, human capital development, such as education and training, is a critical policy lever to prevent the adverse effect of job displacement on the economic, social and psychological well-being of individuals.
“With this in mind, we will put in place support services in the form of assistance in the short run & human capital development in the long run. An important policy lever in this regard, is education and training.”
