Osun State governor, Senator Ademola Adeleke has called for the establishment of a trans-regional security taskforce to curtail the growing cross border criminality.
This was as the General Officer Commanding 2 Division of the Nigerian Army, Major General Valentine Okoro, commended Governor Adeleke for creating a safe and secure environment for residents to live and conduct lawful businesses.
Adeleke while welcoming General Okoro to Osun State, said the visit was very significant and a great opportunity to strengthen the security strategy on the sustenance of the current peace and stability not just in Osun but in the region.
The Governor said that the establishment of a regional task force would track and curb cross border criminality in the South-west and other areas under his Command.
A statement by Mallam Olawale Rasheed, Spokesperson to the State Governor, said that while calling for a symbiotic working relationship between the state government and the GOC, Governor Adeleke assured the military that Osun is the home of hospitality where no one is discriminated against based on tribe, ethnicity or religion
The Governor also lauded the commander of Engendering Construction Regiment, Ede Army Barrack, Brig. Gen. K F Sulaimon for a wonderful job in securing the state saying that the knowledge of the military barrack in Ede was enough deterrent to criminals who might be scouting for a place to perpetuate their criminal activities .
Earlier, General Okoro, who led members of his team among whom were the Commanders of Engineering Construction Command Ede, among others to pay a working visit to the Governor, said he was in Osun as part of efforts to familiarize himself with the operational procedures in states under his Command.
Okoro said that he found that Osun State is one of the most peaceful states in Nigeria and therefore commended the Governor for his huge investment in securing lives and property of the people.
He described Osun State as lucky with the presence of the Engineering Construction Command, Ede, which is full of all sorts of Army Engineers, specialists and combatants that contribute to the security architecture of the State.
Okoro appreciated the government and people of Osun for creating a stable and secure environment and therefore called for more collaboration between the security agencies and the people not just to secure but to sustain the stable environment but to improve on it by volunteering relevant and genuine information to the Nigerian Army which he described as people-centric.
