Oyo State Governor, ’Seyi Makinde, has restated the commitment of his administration to keep the state safe and secured.
He gave the commitment while receiving the Association of Retired Officers of the Department of State Services of Nigeria (Oyo State Chapter), led by its Chairman, Alhaji Lateef Akinola.
His administration,he said,will continue to strengthen the security architecture in the state.
The current administration would involve the retired officers of the Department of State Service, (DSS) with a view to improving the state security apparatus,he said in a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary Mr. Taiwo Adisa.
He said: “I will like to say that I am not surprised when the chairman was making his speech and he said this association actually started from Oyo State. It is for that same reason Oyo State is known as a pacesetter state. It is not just the association, even Federal Road Safety Corps started from here, and that is why we don’t shy away from taking the bull by the horns.
“When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in early 2020, I was at the States’ Economic Council meeting where they said everybody should mandatorily lock down their states. But we know that for us in Oyo State, a lot of our people will eat from the profit of what they are able to sell today. We backed it up with science, logic, and data and could not lock down the state. Later, they moved from mandatory to voluntary lockdown. “Eventually, the Federal Government copied our idea.
The governor, while appreciating the serving officers and men of the Department of State Services for their cooperation, added that his government would not relent in its efforts at providing adequate support for its smooth operation in the state.
The governor explained that the Western Nigerian Security Network, code-named Amotekun, has been acting professionally and protecting everybody in the State, adding that the Amotekun will continue to go against criminals in the state.
“When we formed Amotekun, a lot of people thought it was an ethnic agenda. They have been in operation for over a year. “They have been acting professionally and protecting everybody in Oyo State. The people we are after are the criminals and we will continue to go after and deal with them.
“We will also continue to strengthen the security architecture in Oyo State. And for me, this is a good opportunity to have another sort of security operatives and another side of thinking on how we do things in Oyo State. You should be assured of our support”
Earlier, the Chairman, of the Association, Alhaji Lateef Akinola, commended the governor for his unique approach to the issue of security and taking care of their welfare, adding that the association is ready to support and cooperate with his administration.
Meanwhile, the governor has declared that the Pacesetter buses soon to be launched by his administration will provide world-class transport service to the state.
He disclosed this while inspecting the Omi Tuntun luxurious buses at the Pacesetter Transport Service, Eleyele, Ibadan.
He expressed the intent of his administration to ensure that the Pacesetter buses remain at the forefront of the transportation system in Oyo State.
