Ilorin
Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq has stressed the need for effective entrenchment of the concept social inclusion, youths empowerment and timely administration of justice in the country to foster peace and development.
The governor, who made the remark at one day Multi-stakeholder Security Dialogue in Ilorin said:”We feel strongly that securing our society requires inclusion and empowerment of all the segments of our society.
” It involves guaranteeing social justice for everyone, ensuring that no child is left behind in every developmental agenda and making sure that the justice system is not unduly slow or deliberately tilted against anyone.
“We will definitely continue to give the necessary and complementary logistic support to our security agencies.
” However, we believe that security is a broad concept that goes beyond arming the various security agencies or hanging cameras everywhere.”
He said the dialogue was a follow up to a recent security meeting of the Governors from the north, held in Lafia,
North-central and security developments in other parts of the country.
The governor also said that it was called to harvest the views of all the stakeholders to boost existing peace in the state.
AbdulRazaq commended the security agencies and traditional rulers for their efforts to keep the peace in Kwara.
He said his administration was introducing social investment programmes to ensure that no one was left behind to guarantee peace and harmony in the area.
The governor described hunger and poverty as catalysts for crimes which he said his administration was committed to address “headlong.”
The keynote speakers at the occasion:Prof. Hassan Salihu of the University of Ilorin and Prof. Dakas Dakas of University of Jos agreed that Kwara was peaceful.
They, however, called on the state government to be proactive in terms of security threats in neighbouring states by paying prompt attention to early warning signs.
The dons commended the state government for the security dialogue which they described as timely.
While Dakas called for a regime of accountability, respect for rules of engagement and more support for the security agencies, Salihu called on the public to see security as a joint project owned by all.
Salihu said politicians must learn to draw the line between politics, campaign period and governance and called on political stakeholders to “sidestep their differences and build a sustainable system that works for all.”
The experts also called for more capacity building for the security agencies and other personnel of government in charge of security matters.
Security chiefs in the state also louded the dialogue but called on the masses to always speak up in the event of danger signs around them.
The Chief of Directorate of State Service in the state, Steve Ajege, said the dialogue underpinned AbdulRazaq’s effort to further secure the state.
He called on parents to revisit the issue of family value and discipline and work with security agencies to cut crime rate in the society to the barest minimum.
The Police Commissioner in the state, Mr Kayode Egbetokun, said community policing was underway and called for support for the initiative that would rely heavily on local personnel and intelligence gathering in the state.
Representatives of other security agencies spoke in similar vein with the NDLEA chief calling on parents to pay attention to the activities of their children while lamenting the rising rate of drug abuse in the society.
The Emir of Ilorin and Chairman, traditional council, Alhaji Ibrahim Sulu Gambari, called on the Federal government to make better use of the traditional institutions as was the case during the colonial era.
The monarch, who also commended the state government for the dialogue, however, called for better welfare for members of the security agencies and funding for traditional institutions to boost communal peace.
Two clerics: Prof. Lanre Yusuf and Bishop Sunday Adewole, who represented the Muslim and Christian religious communities, urged the state government to build its security strategies around the traditional and religious institutions.
Duaglobalnews reports that the dialogue drew participants from all segments in the state, including heads of the three tiers of the government, many traditional rulers, labour and youths leaders in attendance.