Modupe Gbadeyanka
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
A former lawmaker and businessman, Mr Ned Nwoko, has urged the government to provide free education to children of security personnel in the country to make them more efficient.
Mr Nwoko gave this advice over the weekend at the maiden dinner of the National Association of Online Security Reporters (NAOSRE) held in Lagos.
The philanthropist, who is the grand patron of the group, submitted that security operatives are not being taken care of well in Nigeria, noting that this could be one of the reasons they seem harsh on the citizens.
“We are not happy with the state of the Nigeria Police. They are not well remunerated. There should be transparency in what goes to them as earnings and allowances,” Mr Nwoko, who was represented by veteran actor, Mr Tony Akposheri, said.
“Our security personnel are not adequately well taken care of and the number of security operatives in this country is not adequate.
“Children of security agents should enjoy free education from primary school to the university,” he further said, stressing that, “We cannot leave everything to the government.”
During the event, participants, including from the army, police, customs, road safety and others spoke on how to make security situation better.
In his speech, the acting director, the Nigerian Army Public Relations, Brigadier-General Sagir Musa, who was represented by Major Osoba Olaniyi, said the army conducts internal security operations in 34 states.
He also said as a professional institution, the army welcomes criticisms but rejects casting aspersion on the organisation because of its “tendency to undermine national unity.”
On his part, the Commissioner of Police in Lagos, Mr Hakeem Odumosu, emphasised that policemen work 24/7 and are overstretched. But he said “with proper funding, everyone will sleep with their eyes closed.”
He urged members of NAOSRE to “tell us our wrongs” but not through “sensational journalism that can further breach the peace in society.”
In his speech, the spokesman of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Deputy Comptroller Joseph Attah, who was represented by the PRO of Tin Can Island Port, Uche Ejesieme, assured that the agency will work tirelessly to “drastically reduce smuggling to the barest minimum” as there was an elaborated deployment of intelligence in the discharge of its duties at all the country’s points of entry.
In his address, President of NAOSRE, Mr Femi Oyewale, said the theme of the event, 2021 Nigeria Security: Issues, Funding and Prospect, was carefully chosen to “address the security issues in Nigeria, bearing in mind that 2020 has been a very tough year for citizens, businesses and indeed, the security sector.”
