LAGOS State Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola yesterday, for the umpteenth time, made a case for the establishment of a state police system in the country.

Fashola made the call in an address delivered at the state's third town hall meeting on security. The governor wondered why a state with its own government, and other institutions, would not have its own police.

Fashola queried: "When will we have the courage and honesty to do what is right? Can a state that has its own government, House of Assembly, high courts, universities and fire service, not have its own police? Are we really afraid of ourselves? The argument I continue to hear is that it will be abused."

Fashola noted that the giant strides made by the state in stemming its previously high crime wave through the instrumentality of the Lagos State Security Trust Fund (LSSTF) showed how much could be achieved if all hands were on deck in tackling the challenge of insecurity.

While calling on corporate bodies and individual Lagos residents to contribute towards ensuring the sustainability of the LSSTF's work, the governor pointed out that the state could not "afford to backslide, indeed the reality demands that we add even more capacity. On our part, the state government, bearing the moral imperative of leadership by example, has committed over N3 billion to the fund."

Fashola disclosed that two helicopters and 10 more Armoured Personnel Carriers were on their way to boost security.

The governor equally urged Lagos residents to promptly dial the toll-free number, 767, in cases of emergencies. The governor also launched a website through which voluntary donations to the fund could be made by the public.



http://odili.net/news/source/2009/oct/16/30.html

Why not anyways?


Like other Federal government neglects, Fashola is basically feeding and equipping the Nigerian police in Lagos.

Kudos to him for taking that giant stride

might not be a bad idea but who knows.

i am o sure this will be a step towards the right direction, cos it will curb the corruption of the dumb cops

It's definitely a good idea. I just don't think we're socially enlightened and sophisticated enough to prudently manage sate police.

Fashola is a reasonable man, but I don't know about other governors like illiterate clowns in volatile states like Oyo, Ekiti and several stats up north restraining and preventing themselves from abusing and misusing state police.