Of Ogun assembly and community policing

There is no gainsaying in the fact that no meaningful socio-economic growth can occur in an atmosphere devoid of adequate security of lives and property. This explains why investors will not attempt to invest their resources in war torn countries, no matter how bountiful and attractive the likely dividends of such ventures may seem. This truism apparently was the driving factor that spurred the Ogun State House of Assembly to once again rise to the occasion as it passed a bill that would ensure effective grass root policing and serve as a link between the community and other security agencies through the restructuring of the Vigilante Service in the state to curtail crimes and criminality in communities across the state. This intervention is coming barely a few months after the same House of Assembly had taken a giant leap through effective legislative framework to check the excesses of criminals engaged in cultism, kidnapping, land grabbing and armed robbery to unleash terror on the people by passing a four-in-one bill titled : “HB No/03/2016- A Bill for a law to prohibit forcible entry and occupation of landed properties, violent and fraudulent conducts in relation to landed properties, armed robbery, kidnapping, cultism and for other matters incidental thereto and connected therewith”.

The bill is meant to curb emerging crimes and criminality in any part of the state in view of sophistication in criminal activities occasioned by unprecedented influx of people from other parts of the country and partly due to the proximity of Ogun State to Lagos which is currently battling with population explosion. Ogun State, being the new investors’ destination of choice requires cohesive but well-coordinated security arrangements that will withstand some of the emerging challenges of rapid population influx in which security and other issues associated with advancement of socioeconomic development could be tackled headlong. This fresh step remains a clear signal to the fact that community policing is the bedrock for all security arrangements to ensure strong, effective, efficient and well coordinated security network of any society or nation. This is so, given the fact that any society that can achieve effective community policing will have little or no security challenge.

The new bill titled “HB No. 16/OG/2016- A Bill for a Law to Establish the Ogun State Community Social Orientation and Safety Corps (So-Safe Corps) Agency for the Regulation and Control of Community Social Orientation and Safety Corps Activities And For Connected Purposes” was sponsored by the Deputy Speaker, Olakunle Oluomo, who explained in an interview shortly after its passage that, “it is to strengthen security networks, thereby curbing thuggery, promote campaign against rape, violence against women, children and the vulnerable group. This could be achieved by involving people with unblemished records, who are familiar with the terrain thereby reducing fund spent in fighting crimes”. A careful look at the bill indicates that it will see to the establishment of the Ogun State Community Social Orientation and Safety Corps otherwise known as (So-Safe) Agency to be a fulcrum for effective community policing through intelligence information gathering with an establishment of a well-coordinated agency which would put in place a uniform and non-uniform community social orientation and safety corps within the State. The corps, according to the bill would assist the police and other security agencies within the State “in maintaining law and order by gathering information about crime, crime in progress, suspicious activities and crime suspects”, amongst others. It will also make available such relevant information on crimes, crimes in progress, suspicious activities and crime suspects to the police or other security agencies that require such, putting effective security strategies in place to curtail the activities of hoodlums and cultists in communities across the State.

It will also empower the So Safe Corps to be created by the agency to undertake motorized patrol day and night, identify and prosecute criminals, serve as an interface between the community and the police, thereby improving relationships between the two. The foregoing will be complemented by engaging the service of volunteers like ex-servicemen, retirees, Baales, chiefs, and community development officials with unblemished records as Special Marshals in mass orientation of their communities in security consciousness and campaign against social vices. Additional roles for the special marshals were to ensure that children of immunisation age are presented for such by their parents;  that no child of school age roam about the street during school hours; members of communities maintain clean environment at all times; violence against women and vulnerable children are prevented in the community; help encourage moral rectitude in the society, ensure coordinated campaign against rape, domestic violence, child abuse, maltreatment and neglect are carried out regularly in the communities.

It is imperative to note that such agency to be created shall be a corporate body with perpetual succession and common seal with power to sue and be sued in its corporate name and be capable of acquiring, holding managing and disposing of properties whether movable or immovable for the purpose of excising its functions as specified in the bill. It states further that the agency, “shall also be the coordinating body for the uniformed and non-uniform community corps established and operating within all the Local government and Local Council Development Areas” in the state. When operational, the bill will also see to the establishment of the Ogun State Community Service Orientation and Safety Corps Board with the responsibility for the operation and administration of the agency. The bill clearly indicates part of the conditions that need to be fufilled to be enlisted as a member of the corps which include the fact that “a member of the corps shall be a registered resident in the State, with proven character and integrity. Such person shall be recommended by traditional ruler of the community or top government functionary resident in the community without any criminal record. In addition, the Board shall ensure cordial relationship with the Nigeria Police Force and other security Agencies in the State for effective community policing and networking to prevent crimes.

In line with its constitutional responsibilities of ensuring people-oriented legislation, the State House of Assembly presided by Speaker Suraju Ishola Adekunbi, consulted widely from different stakeholders through the public hearing on the bill. This assisted tremendously in harnessing views and inputs of diverse stakeholders, professionals, security management experts and personnel both serving and retired to make contributions which form the nucleus of the bill.

• Jamiu is Head of Information, Ogun State House of Assembly