KSAA canvasses for more robust enlightenment campaigns
THE convener of Kwara South Advancement Agenda (KSAA) Mr Opeyemi Olabanji, Monday canvassed more robust enlightenment campaigns from the nation’s orientation and information Ministries on how civilians should act during emergencies in order to reduce the number of casualties often described as high in Nigeria.
Lamenting the recent bloody robbery of five commercial banks in Offa, Offa Local Government Area (LGA) of Kwara state, in which over 20 people were killed “especially the civilians”, Olabanji said the high casualties would have been averted if the victims had been adequately oriented on precautionary measures to take at such emergency situation.
According to him, “this situation is sad. We commiserate with all our traditional rulers from Kwara South most importantly, the Olofa of Offa Oba Mufutau Gbadamosi, the Esuwoye Second. However, we will like to appeal to our relevant agencies like;
National Orientation Agency (NOA) and the Ministry of Information and Culture to organise more enlightenment campaigns for Nigerians on how to act and behave during such situations. I am sure if such people at Offa had been given a prior orientation on emergencies they would have escaped the attacks.”
The KSAA leader during the press briefing, said his members had recorded in the history of the people of Kwara South the date of the incident, as a “Black Day” in which they will remember for a longer period of time to come.
Hé disclosed that the incident has further indicated that Nigerian security network is in grave need of as much lifeline as it could get, wondering on how robbers could spend about one hour robbing five banks in a town less than thirty minutes to Ilorin the state capital without prompt reinforcements.
For Olabanji, our political leaders should refrain from playing politics with issues that border on security, just as he applauded the Federal Government for its decision to expend the sum of 1billion dollar to beef up the security situations in the country.
He nevertheless put a caveat that strict adherence to the Nation’s procurement act be ensured in the utilization of the said lifeline in order to ensure expected results.
He praised all the steps taken so far on the sad incident by the Kwara state Government, especially the condolence visits to the families of the victims, the promise to offset all the incurred medical expenses by the injured and the announcement of a sum of five million Naira for anyone with useful information on the dare devil robbers.
Olabanji urged the people of Kwara South to be vigilant and more security conscious as they go about their daily activities to ward off future attacks, believing that peace and adequate security of lives and property are the needed harbingers of a blossom economic situation.
Besides, he pleaded for adequate compensations for the families of all that lost their lives in the robbery, “including the nine gallant policemen” riddled with bullets inside the Owode Police station in Offa.
