The governor of Edo State, Mr. Godwin Obaseki has said that insecurity had been aggravated by the escape of some 2, 000 prisoners from correctional centres in the state during the #EndSARS crisis.
The governor stated this in his New Year’s Day broadcast.
However, he said the state government was building a robust security system to deal with the situation, urging citizens and the private sector to support the government’s efforts.
He added that the government had put in place deep-rooted reforms to engender sustainable development and reconfigure government institutions to better serve the people.
“The social and economic tension emanating from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic led to the #EndSARS protests and its aftermath, which resulted in jailbreaks in Oko and Sapele Road, Benin City. Almost 2,000 prisoners escaped from these facilities and this has compounded the security situation in the state, which we are now dealing with.
“We are building a robust security system to deal with the peculiar challenges that we now face. We are essentially evolving a public safety system that is anchored on citizen participation with a bottom-up structure, such that citizens are actively engaged in protecting and securing their immediate communities in collaboration with the government.”
Obaseki also stated that the government would launch the ‘Operation Know Your Neighbour’ campaign, in which citizens would be requested to provide information on the identities of all those who lived close to them.
He also called on the citizens to adhere to COVID-19 safety protocols.
On the highpoint of the out gone year, the governor said the September 19, 2020 election was a silver lining for the state, saying, “In the midst of the gloom and despair, there was a silver lining for us in Edo State with the conduct of the September 19 governorship election, which against all predictions, turned out to be peaceful, credible and a watershed for our democracy as a nation.”
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