LSSTF CEO BALOGUN TASKS CP FAYOADE ON DRUMMING DONORS, STAKEHOLDERS, BRAND AMBASSADORS FOR FUNDING AGENCY
Damenews • Ayo Ogunsan adds ‘cityboy to CP’s title, let your officers take ownership of assets given to them’
By Oki Samson
The Commissioner of Police in Lagos Command, CP Adegoke Fayoade yesterday paid a courtesy visit to the Lagos State Security Trust Fund (LSSTF) office in Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos. This marked his maiden visit to the office of the most innovative funding agency for security in Nigeria.
Trek Africa Newspaper can report that he was received by the Executive Secretary/CEO of Lagos State Security Trust Fund (LSSTF), Dr. Abdurrazaq Balogun, the LSSTF Board Member, Dr. Ayo Ogunsan, the Administrator of the LSSTF, Mr. Degbola Lewis, Assistant Secretary, Ada Onyeka, and other members of staff of LSSTF.
In his speech, the Executive Secretary/CEO of Lagos State Security Trust Fund (LSSTF), Dr. Abdurrazaq Balogun, ‘A lot of people don’t know that Lagos State Security Trust Fund (LSSTF) exists and those who know don’t do anything because they are not compelled. What is wrong in A-list artistes becoming brand ambassadors for us but we can’t reach them because it is about naira and kobo to them. But if the Police can reach them in your capacity, it will be good.’
Emphasizing the need for donor support for his agency, the erudite public administrator, Balogun said, ‘Lagos State Security Trust Fund (LSSTF) is totally donor-funded. There is no 1 naira of Lagos State Government involved in the Fund. I recall the Ministry of Home Affairs, whenever anybody is coming to Lagos or wants to get citizenship, they will send the people to us to make donations to us as part of their social responsibility. And I think the CP can start to look from that perspective. If the CP can reach them, tell them that ‘LSSTF is existing and supporting us for the past 17 years, go and do something for them’. You can also organize networking events and ask us to come pitch to them.’
‘On behalf of the Board of Trustees, Management and Staff, I thank you and I wish you well in your tenure as Commissioner of Police in Lagos Command. We wil maintain the RRS, even though the asset is enormous, we will keep at it. Your predecessors have always written to us for support and we will always do as much as we can but you will agree with me that we cannot shoulder the responsibility for the entire Lagos State Police Command.’
On his part, the Board Member of the LSSTF, Dr. Ayo Ogunsan told the CP, ‘You are a city boy like our dear President. You are familiar with Lagos terrain. I welcome you once again to Lagos and I wish you the very best. Please use your good office to add value to LSSTF. This is the only agency in country that adds value and support all security outfits operating in Lagos. we don’t even care if they are federal or state. We don’t discriminate.’
‘I want to plead with the CP to allow us leverage on your rich contacts of well-meaning and wealthy Nigerians that always need the service of Police to please support LSSTF by donating in cash and kind. I also want to suggest that donation forms of LSSTF be kept on the desk of the CP and some other units at the Headquarters that always interact with these rich, well-meaning Nigerians. I assure you that if we get regular donations from the Police Command, the management of the fund will not hesitate to address all the security needs in the state.’
‘Please take ownership of the assets we give your men, dear CP sir. Let your officers and men take ownership of those valuable assets. If you need to organize trainings, please do it for proper orientation on how to handle and maintain these assets. When we give you an equipment, take it as your own. When there is a minor problem, report it for immediate attention.’
‘On the aviation fuel for the Air Wing, we have discussed about what we can do but we know that we don’t have the financial resources until recently that we got an intervention. But even that has fuelled conversation. A Nissan Nirvera costs N44m, how many of it do you think 1 billion naira can purchase? So the 1 billion that everybody heard cannot buy more than 20 vehicles and we know that is not enough to police Lagos.’
In his response which he described as a Thank You note, CP Adegoke Fayoade remarked: ‘The visit to Lagos State Security Trust Fund (LSSTF) is very important. We are all aware of the provision of logistics which has been helping us to police Lagos. So we need to come and appreciate them. We tremendously appreciate all the support you are giving to us. If not for Lagos State Security Trust Fund (LSSTF) we will not be be able to do as much as we do now.’
‘With your assurance, we will do more. We have no choice than to do more. You are always there for us, your interest in security is so high. We will not disappoint. Lagos will be secured and safe. We will learn how to maintan our infrastructure. I will ensure that the assets that is given to us is properly maintained so that it can increase their lifetime’, Fayoade assured the LSSTF.
Some of the entourage that came with CP Adegoke Fayoade to the LSSTF office includes; DC Operations, Lagos Command, DCP Fatai Tijani; CSP AKA Shittu; PPRO Lagos Command, SP Benjamin Hundeyin and others.
