Former president Olusegun Obasanjo on Monday said that the police required the assistance of the public to effectively provide security to secure the lives and property of Nigerians at the community, local government and state levels.
Obasanjo argued that the work of policing was a very difficult task, adding that the police needed the support of the people in discharging their duties effectively.
He spoke at the maiden meeting of the Eminent Peoples’ Forum and the launch of “Change Begins With Me” held at the June 12 Cultural Center, Abeokuta, Ogun State.
The former president said, “The work of policing our community, local government, state and country is not the work of the police alone. It is for all of us.”
Obasanjo noted that the police have a very crucial role to play in getting the public involved in providing security to the country.
“If you want to get all of us engaged in helping the police to police our community, the police have a very difficult task,” he said.
The former president, however, charged the members of the public to always call the police whenever necessary.
“If your house is broken into, call the police. If you want to go and marry, call the police and if you quarrel with your wife, call the police,” he said.
Also speaking on the occasion, the state Commissioner of Police, Ahmed Iliyasu , stated that the purpose of the establishment of EPF was to support the police by providing solutions to security problems.
Iliyasu also said that the EPF would also help the police in reducing the workload on them.
He said, “This forum will support the Nigeria Police Force in proffering solutions to security challenges through mediation and social control. It will also bring policing close to the people.”
“The emergence of the EPF will help to reduce the workload on the police as members will help the police in sensitizing their people to be law-abiding and if there is a problem in their area, we can offer a quick solution through the assistance of these group of eminent persons within the area.” he stressed
While speaking on the President Muhammadu Buhari’s “Change begins with me,” mantra, the police commissioner maintained that the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, had subscribed to the mantra in order to inculcate it in the force so as to change the orientation of the members of the Nigeria police.
“Brutality such as extra judicial killing, requesting for money for bail, torture and any other form of incivility will become a thing of the past” he added
