OSUN ASSEMBLY SPEAKER MAKES SURPRISE VISITS TO ILESA CITY POLICE STATIONS, PRISONS AND VIGILATE GROUP

The Speaker of the Osun House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Timothy Owoeye on Friday 21st June, 2019 embarked on a surprise working visits to the Ayeso 'A' Division police Headquarters, Ijamo 'B' Police headquarters, Ayeso Maximum Security Prison and a meeting with the vigilante group in a move to open discussion on securing lives and properties of the people, the place and the involvement of local vigilante/security groups so that we will not be working with saboteurs and most importantly moves to be taken to maintain that the relarive peace that the people of Ilesa East currently enjoy.

Charity begins at home, recall that Rt. Hon. Timothy Owoeye originates from Ilesa East State Constituency, hence he embarked on the visits to set example to other legislators of the State House of Assembly to make similar move in their constituencies.
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He was accompanied on the visit by the legislator representing Ilesa West State Constituency, Hon. Wale Adedoyin, the chairmen of Ilesa East LG, Hon Akeem
Olowoopejobori and Hon. Oladipo Adeniyi, the chairman of Ilesa North East LCDA.

At the "B" Division Police Headquarters, Ijamo, Ilesa, he was received in audience by the Divisional Police Officer of the division, DSP Kunle Ige who could not hide his happiness that the Osun Speaker considered it worthy to visit his station .In his welcome address the DPO said that he was in no doubt aware of the security situation in Nigeria in general, and the alarm being raised about Osun state, which is not proportional with what is on ground. In his words ."when we measure the reports at our disposal with the alarm being raised, we discovered that there is exageration to some extent. notwithstanding, we want to acknowledge the increase in crime rates in certain parts of Osun State. there is an axis linking Ondo State with Osun and Ekiti States, to my knowledge, we have recorded some instances of robbery and kidnapping and even there are some area command divisions falling within that axis that owe the duty but we have been collaborating with them because the duty of security is for all.

"We need to come together and fashion out the way forward there is no doubt that security of lives and properties will be guarateed. There is clamour for the establishment of Local Police or State Police, but we have to start somewhere, We have the local security personels on ground, the vigilant groups, the hunters and other volunteer groups but there should be a forum for coordination of their activities. We do hold lectures and meetings with them on monthly basis.

The chairman, Hon. Akeem Olowoopejobori of Ilesa East LG liaising with the Chairman Ilesa North East LCDA, Hon. Oladipo Adeniyi, to organize a stakeholder security meeting to forge ahead proper security aparatus to combat the menace of criminals in our area. with the visit of Mr. Speaker, by the time we sit on that forum, we will be able to breef you further. it is very good initiative that you are having.'

DSP Kunle Ige seized the oppurtunity to bring to some of our predicaments of his division that was carved out from the then Ilesa Division to the attention of the Osun Speaker. He lamented that the structure that was converted was the Radiofusion building of those days for a take-off but since then there has not been a standard Police station. Though he is aware there are two structures under construction, one at Imo, adjacent to the LCDA secretariat and one behind Hope Middle School that have been raised to certain level. He asked to seek the indulgence of the Speaker and that of the government to put the structures in place for use to allow the proper functioning of this division and the envisaged one.

He said. "Ilesa by population will be about 800,000 to 1 million inhabitants. There are three higher institutions, the College of Education, te College of Health Technology and a Polythecnic along Imelu axis, and thinking of the proximity of Ilesa to Osogbo the State capital, you will make a distance of 10 kilometers before meeting a Police Station. And also from the Ijamo 'B' Division towards Imo-Iwaraja a distance of over 5 kilometers distance, same can be said about Irojo-Ilerin axis. Ilesa is a growing city so we need to establish more Police posts.' He concluded by saying that the Ijamo" B" division is seriously in need of serviceable patrol vehicles

At the Ayeso "A" Division he was received by CSP Martins Bamgboye and at the Ilesa Maximum Prison by ASP Henry Ikuejawa.

Ikuajewa called on the speaker to use his good office to influence the provision of training materials for the use of the Prisons Skill Acquisition centre where prisoners are trained in tailoring, shoemaking, capentry etc. Before leaving the Ilesa Prison, the Speaker made donated a high power generator to assist the prison management at pumping water that has become an incessant problem for the day to day running of the prison caused by the prevailing blackouts in the area where the prison is located.