Agege community begins ‘Operation secure your community’ – Leaders

Agege community begins ‘Operation secure your community’ – Leaders

By Kazeem Akande

Community leaders in Agege area of Lagos State have commenced “Operation Secure Your Community” to enhance safety and peaceful co-existence in the area.

Mr Omodele Moruf, the Chairman Community Development Committee ( CDC) in Agege Local Government disclosed this while speaking with the Newmen after a community meeting held in Baale Gbogunleri’s Compound on Sunday.

Maruf said the meeting, which had in attendance representatives of all groups in the community, was convened to address security concerns affecting the area.

“We thank God for such type of gathering because we called on everybody and they came. What we see in that area is that we do not depend on sentiments,” he said.

The community leader said that though the security challenge was general and not limited to a particular location, it had affected some residents.

“The particular area that is affected is general. I can never say this particular place. But it affected some people, So, which I will not be mentioning the area for security purpose,” he said.

Maruf said the resolution of the meeting was for all stakeholders to take responsibility for securing their environment.

“The resolution now is that everybody secures their portion. We want safer community, secure your community, let your community be safe we don’t want unnecessary shanties in any corner, that’s the resolution.

“Anything that could affect our safety within that community, we don’t want it. And it has been decided, it has been concluded that whoever stands to destroy that community will be penalised,” he said.

Also speaking, Alhaji Shuaibu Musa, the Yerima of Agege, who represented the Arewa community, said the meeting came at the right time and had extensively deliberated on solutions to the challenges.

Musa said the gathering had no ethnic colouration, describing it as a pure community issue.

“I am trying to use this medium to let other people know that this gathering has no ethnic co-relation. It is a pure community issue and in this community, we have been living together even before we were born.

“This is a community where you see a Yoruba man speaking Hausa fluently more than a Hausa man. We have intermarried, we have done everything here. So the issue of ethnic co-relation is not there.

“It is other people that come from outside that are trying to give it that co-relation. But there is nothing like that,” he said.

Musa added that the community would ensure that issues were addressed objectively.

“Irrespective of anybody, either Hausa or Yoruba, anything good is good, anything bad is bad,” he said.

Alhaji Waliu Aderonmu, the Chief Apase Gbogunleri Isale Oja of Agege in his remarks commended residents for their understanding, saying the community must reform itself before government intervention.

“This is our community, this is where we were born. We have been going outside to hear the way they are talking about our Dopemu-Sango Agege community that they have not seen a good thing in the area.

“We are taking actions against illegal shanties and chiosks around the corners before government comes for the enforcement because many people will be affected. We have to flush them away by destroying the shanties,” he said.

Aderonmu commended the Commissioner of Police in Lagos State and the Divisional Police Officer, Elere Division, for their support.

He disclosed that the community resolved to set up panels to liaise with stakeholders on both sides to find lasting solution to the problem.

“The community now decided to bring some panel from the community side and they should bring their own panel to see and know what to do about the matter,” he said.

NAN reports that many shanties were destroyed in Agege by the community leaders to safeguard the community and enhance security of life and property in the area, as some of

them were allegedly harbouring criminals.(NAN)