BENIN CITY – The Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, has said the state government is making available two additional Armoured Personnel Carriers (APCs) to the State Police Command, as part of efforts to strengthen the state’s security architecture.
Obaseki said this when he received the Chairman and Executives of State’s Police Community Relations Committee (PCRC) who were on a courtesy visit to the Government House in Benin City.
He said his government is focused on ensuring that the state does not produce criminals, adding, “That is why we are investing in massive infrastructural development, quality basic education, technical education, as well as youth empowerment programmes to create jobs and better the lives of our people.
“For this administration, our first major assignment was to clear out and reduce drastically the activities of miscreants and hoodlums. This move has encouraged a lot of investments, which has resulted to the growth of the state’s economy.”
The governor continued, “The primary purpose of government is to secure the lives and property of all citizens. If we have to fulfil our constitutional responsibility of securing our State and the people, we have to strengthen the police as an institution, because it does not act on its own but collaborate with the community it is policing. Synergy creates security itself.
“We can’t talk about security only in terms of enforcing the law through policing, without dealing with some socio-cultural undertones that are creating the problems of criminality among the people.”
Obaseki disclosed that the state has a Security Incidents Management software that helps in taking monthly statistics of criminal activities.
“The software helps us to analyze and understand what is driving the rate of crimes in each area. We are getting two more APCs and deploying it to strategic areas in the state,” he added.
He said his administration will collaborate with the PCRC to have their members in the Ward Developments Committee (WDC) in the 18 Local Government Areas of Edo State.
The Chairman of PCRC, Edo State, Rev. Dr. Atekha Odemwingie, commended the numerous achievements of the state governor, noting that they have brought succour to the people.
“These achievements include rehabilitation of several roads across Edo State, which have made policing easier; the launch of new security architecture and the introduction of EdoJobs to ensure youths are gainfully employed.”
The governor was decorated as the Life Patron of the PCRC, Edo State Chapter.
