POLICE SERVICE COMMISSION’S ACTING CHAIRMAN, RETIRED JUSTICE OGUNBIYI VISITS GOV. SANWO-OLU, SAYS ‘LAGOS IS A MODEL FOR PEACE • CP Alabi, Ayo Ogunsan, others present in meeting

By Friday Etim, Supreme International Magazine

Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu (right) presenting a souvenir to Acting Chairman, Police Service Commission (PSC), Justice Clara Ogunbiyi (rtd) during a courtesy visit at Lagos House, Marina.

In a bid to ensure the buy-in, support, and cooperation of critical stakeholders in Nigeria’s security architecture, the Police Service Commission (PSC) today paid a courtesy visit to the Governor of Lagos State, Mr Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu.

The visit led by the acting Chairman of the PSC, Justice Clara Ogunbiyi (retd) to the Lagos House, Marina had in attendance the Commissioner of Police in Lagos, CP Sylvester Abiodun Alabi and Board Member of Lagos State Security Trust Fund (LSSTF) Dr. Ayo Ogunsan among others. Trek Africa Newspaper can report that the PSC which has received new vigour under the acting leadership of Justice Clara Ogunbiyi recently visited the Inspector General of Police, IGP Usman Alkali Baba among others with the same motive.

L-R: Acting Chairman, Police Service Commission (PSC), Justice Clara Ogunbiyi (rtd) with Governor, Lagos State, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu during a courtesy visit at Lagos House, Marina.

Speaking during her visit, Justice Clara Ogunbiyi (retd) commended Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s administration. ‘We can see that security is top notch in Lagos and there is a lot of safety here and we wish and desire that other states within the country will also emulate Lagos because of the security situation which is top notch. Lagos is a model of how to handle security situations.’

‘The Police are doing a good job in Lagos and they could also replicate in all other states and parts of the country. This is basically why we are here, to appreciate the governor and that he should continue with the good work’, Trek Africa Newspaper gathered.

Justice Ogunbiyi assured the Governor that the Nigeria Police will continue to work within the ambit of the law, adding that the Commission will make sure that they are well looked after.

In his response, the Governor thanked the delegation while also emphasizing the need for State Police. He said: ‘We reiterate and seek your cooperation on our collective agitation for a State Police. This is my view and the view of a lot of my colleagues and citizens that given the age of our democracy, policing at the community level is not only desirable, but it is also important and it is what should be done and what we require. We will continue to advocate for State Police. We have said that State Police is not in any form to retrench or reduce whatever the Nigerian Police is doing now. There would still be clear responsibility that would be federal in nature; they would still have direct responsibility and oversight to continue to address.’

L-R: Board Member, Lagos State Security Trust Fund (LSSTF), Dr. Ayodele Ogunsan with the Governor, Lagos State, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu during a courtesy visit by the management of Police Service Commission at Lagos House, Marina

‘We also know that if you look at the ratio of Policemen to our huge population, we are still far from what it should be. So, for us, it is really another level of employment generation; providing what we are sworn to do, which is the protection of life and property; ensuring there is peace and tranquillity within our State. We know it is a constitutional thing and we are pushing at various stakeholders’ levels but even at an administrative point of view, let the point be made that when you (the Commissioners of Police Service Commission) came to Lagos, these are our own views and reasons. It is not long overdue and everybody can do it at their own measure.’

‘We have a huge task to continue to provide adequate first-class security for our entire local and foreign citizens that are here in large numbers. The population is growing on a daily basis and we need to be proactive to be able to respond and be able to ensure that we don’t have space for criminal-minded people or people that have other intentions within our own territory’, Gov. Sanwo-Olu concluded.

Board Member, LSSTF, Dr Ayo Ogunsan

L-R: Commissioners of Police Service Commission (PSC): Mr. Austine Braimoh; Barr. Rommy Mom; Lagos Commissioner of Police, Mr. Abiodun Alabi; Acting Chairman, (PSC), Justice Clara Ogunbiyi (rtd); Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu; Lagos State Attorney General & Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Moyosore Onigbanjo (SAN) and Board Member, Lagos State Security Trust Fund (LSSTF), Dr. Ayodele Ogunsan, during a courtesy visit by the management of the Commission at Lagos House, Marina.

L-R: Governor, Lagos State, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu in a rapt attention with a Board Member, Lagos State Security Trust Fund (LSSTF), Dr. Ayo Ogunsan during a courtesy visit by the management of Police Service Commission at Lagos House, Marina