The Director General of the Development Agenda for Western Nigeria (DAWN) Commission, Dr. Seye Oyeleye, announced that the commission will organize a colloquium on state policing. This was made known at a press conference held at the Commission’s office, Cocoa House in Ibadan, on the posthumous 70th birthday of the late governor of Ondo state, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu. The colloquium, themed "Fundamentals and Governance of State Policing: Towards a New Architecture for National Security in Nigeria," aims to address the country's security challenges.
Dr. Oyeleye stressed that Nigeria faces grave security challenges, including banditry, kidnapping, and farmer-herder clashes. He emphasized that the current centralized policing system is inadequate for a population of over 200 million people. The colloquium will bring together governors, lawmakers, security chiefs, traditional rulers, scholars, and civil society to discuss the implementation of state policing. The event is expected to provide a platform for stakeholders to share ideas and solutions.
The DAWN Commission is partnering with the Oluwarotimi Akeredolu Foundation to host the colloquium, which will take place at the International Conference Centre, University of Ibadan, on October 8. Dr. Oyeleye described the event as a national agenda, emphasizing that state policing is crucial to Nigeria's nationhood. He invited well-meaning Nigerians to attend and contribute to nation-building.
A representative of the Akeredolu family, Mr. Taiwo Adewole, disclosed that the family chose to commemorate the late governor through ideas and conversations around issues he championed during his lifetime. Adewole described late Governor Akeredolu as "a man of courage" who spoke out against injustice and stood up for the security and welfare of the people, particularly during periods of insecurity in the South-West.
Secretary-General of the South-West Governors’ Forum, Mrs. Naomi Olabode, described Akeredolu as a "strong and dogged fighter" who believed deeply in Nigeria. She urged people across the South-West to attend the colloquium to honour the late governor, saying, "This is a legacy we must keep." The event is expected to be a fitting tribute to Akeredolu's commitment to justice, activism, fairness, and equity.
The Head of Special Projects and Funding at the DAWN Commission, Prince Adetayo Adeleke-Adedoyin, said the theme of the colloquium reflected the issues to which Akeredolu dedicated his life. The colloquium will provide a platform for stakeholders to discuss the fundamentals and governance of state policing, with a focus on creating a new architecture for national security in Nigeria.
Key stakeholders, including governors, lawmakers, and security chiefs, are expected to attend the colloquium. The event aims to promote a new approach to national security, with a focus on state policing.
Key points
- The DAWN Commission is hosting a colloquium on state policing in honour of late Governor Akeredolu.
- The colloquium will bring together key stakeholders to discuss the implementation of state policing.
- The event aims to promote a new approach to national security, with a focus on state policing.
