Our Porous Border Worrisome – Gov. Dapo Abiodun
The Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, has said that a lot needed to be done to put an end to the porous borders in the country, as illegal influx of aliens in the Western region was becoming worrisome.
Governor Abiodun, stated this at a Security Summit, organized by the Development Agenda for Western Nigeria (DAWN), held in Ibadan, where the six South Western Governors, deliberated on the way forward on issues bordering on insecurity.
He said the country’s porous borders allowed the incursion of foreigners from the West African Sub region into the Western States, adding that it was pertinent to have means of identifying the aliens immediately they come in through the borders.
Prince Dapo Abiodun affirmed his administration’s support for the establishment of the State Police, commending security agencies and community leaders for their role at reducing the ugly trend of insecurity.
“We in Ogun State, support the establishment of the State Police. We appreciate that each State has its own peculiarities; Ogun State is called the Gateway State because we are the gateway to at least four other States and also share international borders.
“Recently, we’ve had skirmishes with nomadic herdsmen who have established a route that goes through Ogun State and find their way to Lagos, but we thank God that through our law enforcement agencies and community leaders, this skirmishes had been nip in the bud”, he said.
Prince Abiodun said his expectations from the Summit include; a clear road map for the security of the South Western region and a periodic review of security in the region, disclosing that there was need to deal with fundamental issues of illiteracy, capacity building, unemployment, education, drug abuse which would go a long way in preventing crime.
In his welcome address, the Governor of Oyo State, Engr. Seyi Makinde while describing the issue of insecurity in the South west, said issues of kidnappings and the growing tensions of farmers and herdsmen in the South Western communities must be tackled.
He expressed gladness that the federal government was finally given due consideration to the creation of state police, saying that, ‘’the advantages of community policing far outweighed whatever fear people might be expressing against it’’.
Makinde however noted that the country had reached a point in its national consciousness, where it could no longer tarry, adding that, there could not be meaningful development when the environment was not secured.
In their separate remarks, the Governors of Lagos, Ondo, Ekiti and Osun states commended DAWN for coming up with the Summit, at a time the Governors Forum and the National Economic Council were deliberating on security, saying, they all support the formation of State Police.
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