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Lagos Assembly set to enhance Neighbourhood watch operation
…creates safety agency
Given the rising spate of crime wave in the state and the attendant threat it pose on the society, the Lagos State House of Assembly is fine tuning process to empower the existing neighborhood outfit to enhance security at the community level all round the state.
This disclosure was made public at the stakeholders parley facilitated by the state legislature, as part of its routine process towards the eventual passage of pending bills into law.
The one day public hearing on “A Bill for a Law to establish the Lagos State Neighbourhood Safety Agency for the Control of the Vigilante Corps activities and for connected purposes”,witnessed divergent views on the importance of certain provisions in the proposed bill.
Chairman Committee on Information and Strategy, Hon. Tunde Braimoh, the host stated in his welcome address that the programme is aimed at hearing the public views, opinions, suggestions, questions and recommendations on the formation of the bill in order to curb insecurity in our State.
” The bill is aimed at beating local criminal and all hands must be on deck to secure the lives and properties of all citizen.
Majority Leader, Hon. Sanai Agunbiade while reviewing the bill explained that the general overview of the bill is to respond more to our security challenges so that our State will have a peaceful atmosphere for economic purposes.
He added that “The bill will strengthen and harmonize all security personnel, it will reduce crime rate and make sure offender are apprehended, it will also give room for follow up of apprehended criminals in other to be sure that they are prosecuted”.
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Speaking on the composition of the Board for the agency, he said members of the board who will work on part-time basis as would be determined by the Governor, are expected to display high level of transparency and accountability as they can be replaced if they failed to discharge their duties diligently. The bill also makes provisions for security equipment.
Mr. Abdulrazak Balogun who is the Executive Secretary of Lagos State Security Trust Fund faulted some of provisions in the bill,stressing the enormity of the security needs of the people which the trust fund is meant to address given the less commensurate inflow of funds.
According to Razak,going to the corporate world to source for fund as suggested,will whittle our strength, the 1percent of our generation to be voted for the neighbourhood watch is difficult because we do not have normal stream of income, the 13 members board is also too much.
“Also, the board should prescribe the uniform to the corps and prescribe their payment rather than providing and paying them”.
Contributing, Deputy Vigilante State Commander, Mr. Emmanuel Ayisiri.Noted that the outfit has been in existence for a long time without being paid by the government.
He however, solicited for the inclusion and consideration of employment for his members in the new projected framework as proposed in the bill.
Responding to their contributions the initiator of the private member bill, Rt. Hon Mudashiru Obasa stated that “The existing vigilante groups should not entertain any fear because the bill will work with the existing neighbourhood corps once they are qualified, competent and intelligent. Educational qualification is not a barrier because what the uneducated corps can do, where they can go to get information the educated ones might not want to do so”.
“Neighbourhood watch had merely been existing by the registration before but the new law will enhance its operation, donations to the trust fund in Lagos is meant for the securing the state, it is our money we should be more particular about our state, if we could spend N4bn to equip federal police, it is expedient to make provision for the grassroots security, the funds should be channeled toward that direction.