Safe Lagos requires youth, police collaboration, govt insists

The government on Friday emphasised that the task of ensuring peace and safety in Lagos State required collaborative efforts between the youth and Police 

The Commissioner for Youth and Social Development, Mr Olusegun Dawodu, at the grand finale of the Police Youth Dialogue organised by the Ministry of Youth and Sports at the Air Force Officers’ Mess, Kofo Abayomi, Victoria Island, Lagos, said their must be a deliberate effort to mend, build and strengthened the relationship between the youth nd the law enforcement agents.

He said, “To his second edition of Police Youth Dialogue planned to mend, build, heal and strengthen the relationship between law enforcement personnel and young people in the State.It is also designed as a tangible tool to bring attention to issues causing tension between law enforcement officers and the youth, thereby building a model towards restorative justice rather than punitive discipline.

“This programme is to show our commitment to a lawful, peaceful and safe Lagos as well as reaffirming the general saying that,”Police is your Friend ” both in theory and most especially in practice.”

The Permanent Secretary, Mrs Toyin Oke-Osanyintolu said, ” This is a platform where burning issues are discussed extensively in order to bridge communication gap between the Lagos State Police Command and the youth resident in the State.

“It has helped to clarify the roles and functions of different security agencies within the state; understand civil rights and obligations in Lagos in supporting the state police command and other security agencies; Discuss strategies to combat the high rate of insecurity in the srate; and Proffer ways to actively involve youth resident in Lagos for better community policing and security information management.”

The Commissioner of Police in Lagos State, Mr Abiodun Alabi, represented by the State Police Public Relations Officer,Mr Benjamin Hundeyin, said the misunderstanding between the police and youth is as a result of impatience, which could be resolved through dialogue.

Resident Electoral Commissioner, Lagos State, Mr Segun Agbaje, represented by Mrs Adenike Datashe, in his presentation enlightened the youth in the dos and don’ts of  credible elections as well as their role in it.

Similarly, the Director General, Nigerian American Chamber of Commerce,Mr Gbenga Adebija, stressed the need for the sstate to support the police-community relations system (which has worked in the civilized climes).

He recommended that the state government should put in place Police Appreciation Day while other states should emulate the Lagos’ model.

The Consular General, Spanish Embassy, Daniel Lasada Miller, said the youth had roles to play in the prevention and resolution of crisis, adding that all hands must be on deck in encouraging the youth to ensure a safer society.

In their goodwill messages, Chairman, National Youth Council of Nigeria, Lagos State chapter, Mr Lekan Oba and Lagos State Youth Ambassador, Miss Zainab Aderounmu, said the initiative would help bridge the communication gap between the youth and police in the state.