Yemisi Izuora
The government of Lagos state has reviewed upward the death insurance benefit for police officers who die in active service to the State to N10 million.
The State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode who announced this said his administration would stop at nothing to ensure the safety of all citizens in the State.
Ambode, who said this after he was presented with two awards recently won in South Africa by the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) of the State Police Command, said security and safety of the people remained one of the focal objectives of his administration, and that government would continually embrace measures to motivate and encourage officers of the Command to perform their duties diligently.
The RRS, at the awards presented by Security Watch Africa (SWA), had emerged as the best anti-crime police squad in West Africa, while the RRS Commander, Olatunji Disu, an Assistant Commissioner of Police, won the award of most outstanding police operational officer in Africa.
The State Government also bagged award as the best security and most safety conscious state in Africa.
Speaking after receiving the awards, Ambode congratulated the Commander and men of the RRS for the feat, saying that the people of the State were appreciative of the gallant efforts of the unit at bringing down crime rate in the State, especially in the last one year.
The governor also commended the State’s Commissioner of Police, Mr. Fatai Owoseni for his purposeful leadership of the Command, saying that it was evident that the Police in Lagos was performing creditably well.
While alluding to the need for increment in the death insurance benefit of officers, Governor Ambode recalled the recent lost of some officers in active service, adding that while government was not praying for the re-occurrence of such, it was appropriate to reasonably reward the family of any officer in the event of eventual death.
The governor, therefore, said his administration was raising the stake of death insurance policy from N1million to rank and file and N2million to senior officers to N10 million.
He said: “Recently, we lost some police officer due to no fault of theirs and then some form of accidental incidences across the State.
“I have directed the State’s Pension Office and the Office of the Chief of Staff that we are going to increase the payment that we make to officers that die in active service and then we are increasing that irrespective of whether you are a junior or senior office, if you die in active service, the payment that will be made by the State Government is being increased to N10million from this moment onward.”
As one of the ways of appreciating and motivating the Command, Ambode also presented additional three patrol vehicles and 45 power bikes to the RRS.
The governor, while reiterating the commitment of the State Government to the security and wellbeing of residents, also directed the police to ensure hitch-free yuletide celebration across the State.
He said the government, by the donation, was also sending a strong signal to those who were always willing to disturb the peace that there was no room for them in the State.
Responding to the gesture, the RRS Commander, Mr. Olatunji Disu said the equipment given to them by the State Government would further spur them to give their best towards protecting the lives and property of residents.