Take result-oriented measures to tackle insecurity, Island Club tasks FG

ISLAND Club, a foremost social club in Nigeria, on Wednesday urged the Federal Government to take result-oriented measures to address the security challenges facing the country.

General Secretary of the club, Mr Omotayo Olumo, made this call at a news conference to announce activities lined up for its 75th anniversary scheduled to hold between October 26 and November 4, 2018.

President Muhammadu Buhari is expected to deliver “The Founder’s Day Lecture,” on October 29 while the National Leader of All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, will be Special Guest of Honour.

The Lagos State governor, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode’s would deliver the anniversary business lecture which would hold on November 1.

According to Olumo, the government needed to improve investment in security to stop killings and activities of the Boko Haram insurgents in the North East, urging the Federal Government to provide in particular the necessary tools to security agencies to improve intelligence gathering and boost their capacity insecurity.

The club’s scribe, however, contended that security was the business of everyone and urged citizens to play their part to make the country safe for all.

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“As we all know, the country is having a lot of security issues which have resulted to loss of lives, particularly in the North.

“We, at the Island Club, advise the Federal Government to explore practical measures that will guarantee the safety of lives of Nigerians regardless of where they live.

“We call on the government to boost the capacity of security agencies to tackle the security challenges we are experiencing by making more investment especially in the area of intelligence gathering.

“However, all Nigerians should see security as their business and play their role the country is safe for all and sundry,” he said.

Speaking further, Olumo said, though Island Club was a social organisation, it had contributed to nation building since it was formed 75 years ago, adding that the club had partnered governments in their agenda to move the nation forward.

He assured that the club would continue to support any efforts that would promote peace and progress of the country.

On his part, Vice-Chairman of the club, Chief Oladiji Vera- Cruz, said the founding fathers of Island Club set out to create a social platform that would pride itself in the equality of men and intellectual and physical liberation of the human minds.

According to him: “The club also provides a veritable platform for leading businessmen, industrialists, political leaders and intellectuals to exchange viewpoints on national challenges, explore new frontiers in commerce and provide a panacea to problems.”

He said the club over the years had organised activities, including lectures where various topics of national importance were analysed by political leaders and other prominent Nigerians.

Vera-Cruz said the club had in the past organised a lecture on the issue of restructuring and that recommendations of the lecture had been forwarded to the relevant authorities for action.

Other activities for the 75th anniversary of the club, Vera Cruz said, include members’ visit charitable homes to donate gift items to the less-privileged.