Maintaining security within Ikorodu Local Government area as a whole is becoming a big problem. This is to be expected. I want to acknowledge here, the good job that the Nigeria police in Ikorodu has been doing within the limits of the resources placed at their disposal. We should mention the contribution of Neighbourhood Watch to crime fighting effort. I also want to acknowledge the sacrifices made by various individuals and the police Public Relations Committee, Ikorodu. Our local newspapers especially Oriwu Sun have also assisted greatly by reporting incident and Sun have also assisted greatly by reporting incidents and perpetrators of crimes properly and promptly.
Ikorodu local government has also been assisting the police. Early this year, the local government purchased a brand new Peugeot 504 pick-up van for the patrol operations of the police and I am satisfied the vehicle is being used specifically for the purpose for which it was meant.
The local government is also responsible for fuelling police vehicles on patrol duties on monthly basis. At this juncture, I want to call for the continued co-operation of our people with the police to ensure that no criminal fined a haven in Ikorodu. The Industries around too should please continue ‘to assist the police to assist them.’
I am happy to make special note of the peace that had characterized partisan political activities in Ikorodu local government area in the last ten years. We are all brothers and sisters united before we went into politics. We should not allow political partisanship to divide us like we did the late 50’s and 60’s when everything done in Ikorodu was done with political bias and manoeuvrings. We must cultivate the best political culture of moderation in the belief that we are all committed to the ‘Oga’ orientation that had made us a great people.
The potentialities for every dynamic growth of Ikorodu are here for everybody to see and appreciate, however, we can have sustained growth only when we have ‘peace and stability’ in place. Like in any collectively of human beings, we should expect divergence of views and opinions on the particular issue. In spite of this, we can agree to disagree and never to disagree to agree. I am sure you appreciate the point that I am making. Please let us spare no efforts in ensuring the tranquillity of this invaluable legacy of ours-Ikorodu Town.
I cannot end this discussion of our prospects without mentioning social weakness. We are too prodigal in the social spending of our private life. We spend more on social parties than on the upbringing and education of our children. Somebody must start the belling of this evil cat. I therefore want to appeal to all of you gathered here, especially the elites, to resolved to set enviable examples in providing that there is sense in maintaining moderation and modesty in our private social spending. This is a task that must be done. Those of us who are educated and have social status should be courageous enough to show and condemn by example. Why can we not sit down and calculate the wastages that occur during weekends in Ikorodu? I want to suggest that a special committee be established to brain-storm on the issue, neither state legislation nor local government bye-law nor the use of the police had worked in the past and will not work. In other words, we need the re-orientation towards the re-orientation of our priorities. It is a question of correction-persuasion alone is the panacea.
