Yemisi Izuora
The Oyo State governor, Engineer Seyi Makinde, on Wednesday, kicked off the celebration of his administration’s first year in office with the inauguration of Police Mobile Squadron in Ago-Are and distribution of 10,000 seedings to farmers in Iseyin.
The governor, who spoke at different locations said that the success of his administration is attributable to the efficient management of the resources of the state.
He added that the government has gained a lot of mileage because it cut wastage of resources.
A statement by the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Makinde, Mr. Taiwo Adisa, indicated that the governor first spoke at Ago-Are, during the formal inauguration of the Police Mobile Force 72 Squadron and presentation of six Hilux trucks for the operations of the outfit.
He stated that his administration remained committed to ensuring the safety and security of lives and property of the citizens of the state.
The statement further quoted the governor as saying that he made a request for the PMF 72 Squadron in August 2019, appreciating the Inspector-General of Police for cutting bureaucratic bottlenecks to grant approval for the Squadron.
The governor, had also as part of activities commemorating the first anniversary of the administration, kickstarted the distribution of seedlings to 10,000 farms in the state at Iseyin, noting that the effort was part of the government’s palliatives to ensure food security in the state post-COVID-19 pandemic.
The governor, while speaking at Ago-Are, appreciated traditional institutions, elders and leaders of Ago-Are in particular and Oke Ogun in general, for their support, even as he commended the officers of the Squadron for the positive testimonies he has so far heard about them, urging them to be efficient in the discharge of their duties.
He added that his government will ensure the speedy completion of the permanent site for the Unit.
The governor said: “I am glad that we are together today, to officially commence the operations of PMF 72. How did we give birth to the Squadron? I made a request on the 19th of August, 2019 to the Inspector General of Police, which was less than 3 months after we came into office, because security is one of the pillars of this administration.
“As I have always stated, the safety and security of lives and properties of the people of Oyo state is a top priority for this administration. It took me and the entourage about two hours to get here. And if we are to go to Kisi, it would take another two to three hours from here to get there. That is how vast Oyo State is. Oyo state is bigger than some countries in Africa. To cover the entire state, of course, we need personnel, logistics, and agile police mobile force and that is why we have PMF 72.
“From all the technical evaluation that was done, Ago-Are in the Oke-Ogun axis of Oyo State became the choice. I want to thank you, Kabiyesi. Kabiyesi just mentioned in his speech now and I have seen the site for the permanent location of this squadron. He donated a 1km by 1km site and I give you the commitment of the government of Oyo state to speedily ensure that this place is well-developed, because the welfare of the squadron is very important.
“Let me also emphasise that, for this administration, there is a very strong commitment to security and we would do everything within our power to ensure that our people go about their businesses in a safe and secure environment. The rehabilitation of this temporary site was done in record time and I thank everyone including the commander of this squadron for the work that you did to ensure that this is completed speedily and made habitable.”
The governor added that his administration would commit more resources to ensure security in the state, stating that apart from the six Hilux trucks being presented to the PMF 72 Squadron in addition to the two initially given to them, the government would also give motorcycles and ensure that the logistics for its operation is well-developed.
“I cannot end this address without charging you the officers to be efficient in the discharge of your duties. And why did I harp on efficiency? This is because when we came in, the naysayers said, within six months, they would probably be stoning us. But now, it is going to be one year in a matter of two days but the people are not stoning us. It is because we have decided to manage the resources of the state efficiently. The resources are limited but when wastages are cut and you are efficient, with that limited resources, it would give us a whole lot of mileage.”
Earlier, the commissioner of police, Oyo State Command, CP Shina Olukolu, said the inauguration of PMF 72 Squadron, Ago -Are demonstrated the fulfilment of the promise made by the governor to protect the lives and properties of the people of the state.
He explained that the establishment of 72 PMF at Ago-Are would entrench the principles and strategy of community policing, which is part of the government’s policy thrust at combating crimes and criminality as well as taking policing to the people.