Adesola Harps on Need to Involve Youths in FCT Security
By: Wisdom Acka
The Permanent Secretary, Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), Olusade Adesola, has harped on the need to involve FCT youths in tackling insecurity in the Territory.
Adesola made the call, while speaking at FCT Youth Stakeholders Security Summit organized on Thursday in Abuja, by the Coalition of Nigerian Youths on Security and Safety Affairs (CONYSSA).
The Permanent Secretary, who was represented by a deputy director in his office, Ugwu Emmanuel: “the FCTA was not unaware of the fact that there is a need to integrate the youths in the fight against insecurity.
“And it can acknowledge that this summit has showed that the Coalition of Nigeran Youth on Security and Safety Affairs are willing to be a part of the Nigerian success soon.”
Speaking on efforts by the FCTA to secure the Territory, Adesola disclosed that it recently procured and distributed 60 patrol vehicles to security agencies in the FCT.
He also revealed that while it was working closely with 342 vigilantes for community policing, it was also engaging the communities with a view to preventing herders-farmers conflict in the nation’s capital.
According to Adesola, the FCTA was also working hard to make sure street and traffic lights were functional to assist in providing security and safety.
He, therefore, sought collaboration of the youth in the FCTA’s annual sensitization campaigns on raising security consciousness of the residents.
President, CONYSSA, FCT, Zaka Nehemiah, in his welcome address, explained that the summit was organized, because of the challenges of “terrorism, banditry and all shades of criminalities, including abduction and killing in the FCT and the country at large.”
As pan-Nigeria organisation, he said CONYSSA was responsible for “defending Nigerian concern and interest in the matter of security which is the collective duty of all the citizens.”
He, therefore, sympathized with the families of the 14 persons killed and abducted at Kawu ward in Bwari Area Council.”
Zaka decried deterioration of insecurity arising from “one-chance drivers, baban bolas, car snatchers, cars driving around without plate numbers and all other crimes which constitutes to security challenge (in the FCT).”
He, however, expressed belief in the capability of the Armed Forces in bringing these to an end if better armed and equipped; tasking “all political elites to take responsibility of all their actions taken while in office, calling for creation of more job opportunities for the masses because “an Ideal man is the devil’s workshop”.
Lead Speaker at the Summit, AIG Aminu Sale Pai (rtd) noted that most incidents of insecurity, especially kidnappings in FCT take place out of the City Centre.
He pointed out that the major challenges of insecurity were hinged on lack of personnel and modern equipment for the agencies, to carry out patrols and confront criminal elements headon in the unoccupied territories at the Area Councils.
“Most of the kidnappings and abductions happen in Gwagwalada, Kwali, Abaji, Bwari and Kuje Area Councils because they are large spaces that are not well covered together with poor infrastructure of security in these places,” he said.