The Ibadan North East Local Government Area and Ibadan East Local Council Development Area (LCDA), on Monday, kick-started a selected security stakeholders’ meeting, in line with the directive of Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, to all local government chairmen across the State.
The meeting was convened barely 24 hours after the Governor gave the directive for a security stakeholders’ meeting while doing same in Igboora, Ibarapa North, where he met relevant individuals and groups in order to find a lasting solution to the security challenges in the region and the State at large.
The emergency security meeting was attended by concerned stakeholders in the Local Government Area, including commissioners Bayo Lawal (Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters); Dr Wasiu Olatunbosun (Information, Culture and Tourism); Caretaker Chairman, Ibadan North East LG, Mr Ibrahim Akintayo; his counterpart at the Ibadan East LCDA, Mr Abiodun Babalola; traditional heads, religious leaders, community leaders, prominent individuals, representatives of security agencies and other stakeholders from the council areas.
While briefing newsmen after the 3-hour security meeting, held behind closed doors at the Ibadan North Local Government Area premises, the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters, Mr Bayo Lawal, said the Governor’s concern about the crisis in the area necessitated the stakeholders’ meeting, in order to proffer lasting solutions to the lingering insecurity issues being led by hoodlums within the area.
Lawal said: “Today, I am happy to tell you that we are able to collate the causes and we are able to gather the solutions from various stakeholders, which we will still further analyse and also work out modalities of taking effective steps, as being suggested by the stakeholders.”
While admonishing the youths fomenting trouble in the area, the Commissioner appealed to parents to ensure their children and wards do not lack proper parental care and upbringing, urging the residents to allow time for peace as the government is doing all within its power to achieve a better and safer environment for all.
Highlighting some of the causes identified to be responsible for the frequent unrest, Lawal stated: “As acclaimed by the stakeholders, hard drugs is one of the major causes. These are juveniles and the parents fail to perform their duties. If parents give their children proper orientation, proper counselling and the duty of care, they won’t be on the streets supported by hard drugs. So, all these we are going to address.”
Speaking earlier, the Personal Assistant to Governor Makinde, Mr Akeem Azeez, said the purpose of the meeting was to find the immediate and remote cause of the crisis and unrest in the council areas so as to know how to tackle same.
He stated that the mandate of the Governor for the Committee is to seek solutions to the crisis by ensuring a wider collaboration of all the stakeholders with the government, noting that the government was ready to give the required political will to implement all solutions identified by the stakeholders.
Zainab Sa’id
