…From Dele Ogunyemi, Ibadan…
Oyo Sate Governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, has said that due to its expensive nature, no single government can shoulder the responsibility of securing a state, asking for continued private partnership with government in the task of maintaining peace and order.
He stated this on Tuesday in Ibadan while inaugurating the Board of trustees of the State Security trust Fund at the Executive Council Chamber of the Governor’s Office.
The board, which had Mr. Olatunde Ayeni as Chairman, also had Colonel J. Ogbade, Dr. Ayo Abina, Engr. Femi Odumagbo, Assitant Commissioner of Police Christopher Owolabi, Olu Ajayi and Femi Oyedipe as members.
Governor Ajimobi said the vision of his administration was to turn things around for better, in the interest of the generality of the people and to evolve a consistent socio-economic development system that is free of apprehension.
“We are all living witnesses to another unprecedented transformational strategy aimed at ensuring that the security apparatus in Oyo State is adequately strengthened. I wish to note that security is the only singularly most expensive societal endeavour, the world over. It therefore demands synergy of all stakeholders – private, corporate and public sectors,” the governor said.
Governor Ajimobi added that, in order to make the issue of security management institutional, the government established a Security Trust Fund, conceived as a Public-Private-Partnership venture, which was aimed at providing a proactive measure for the management and funding of security issues.
“We are doing all these against the back-drop of relatively higher security challenges in neighboring States. With this, Oyo State is forearmed to deal with any cascading security challenge from its neighbourhood,” he stressed.
Ajimobi said that the Oyo State Security Trust Fund (OYSTF) was a partnership between the Oyo State Government and key stakeholders in the private sector, to provide funding that will equip the security services in the State, adding, “OYSTF builds on the existing template of Ajumose (collectivity) in resolving a key challenge to effective management of security challenges in the State. Through public private partnership, Oyo State would have an enabling environment for sustained funding of the security services, in return for credible management of all security threats.”
The governor pointed out that the State Security Trust Fund would operate as an intervention agency for the mobilization and provision of funds geared towards enabling a sustained and adequate operation of the security services in the State.
He charged members of the committee to ensure adequate mobilization of resources in both Public and Private Sectors, which he said must be carried out very well to make the objective a reality.
He said that as part of effort to ensure security in the state, the government had established a crime-fighting outfit called Operation Burst, which comprises the police, military and other security forces, stressing that the outfit to a large extent had ensured peace and tranquility in the state.
Earlier in his remarks, the Chairman of the board, Mr. Ayeni, had said that the establishment of the Fund was a right step in the right direction, adding that the wisdom and focus of the Ajimobi-led administration in establishing the fund and involving Private Sector Partnership in the task of resolving security problem within the state, was commendable.
He stressed that the establishment of the fund demonstrated the commitment and resolve of government to enhance the socio-economic development of Oyo State and to meet the important security and law enforcement challenges of the 21st century.
The chairman enjoined private individuals and corporate bodies to support the state government in ensuring a secure environment “where we can run our business and earn our livelihood.