REMARKS BY THE SPEAKER OF THE LAGOS STATE HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY, RT. HON. MUDASHIRU OBASA AT A DAY PUBLIC HEARING ON “A BILL FOR A LAW TO ESTABLISH THE LAGOS STATE NEIGHBOURHOOD SAFETY AGENCY AND FOR CONNECTED PURPOSE” AT THE LATEEF JAKANDE AUDITORIUM, ASSEMBLY COMPLEX, ALAUSA, IKEJA, WEDNESDAY, MAY 4, 2016

Good morning to you all and please permit me to stand on all existing protocols.
It gives me great pleasure to be here and I must equally express my satisfaction at the attendance. It really shows the importance Nigerians and Lagosians, in particular, attach to the issue of security of lives and property.
Here at the Lagos State House of Assembly, our resolve as lawmakers has always been to make laws that will not only ensure improved standard of living for our people but also to make laws that will ensure that they enjoy dividends of democracy even at the comfort of their homes.
Today’s event is also a confirmation of our collective resolve to ensure that Lagosians feel the impact of this administration and that they do so without fear.
You will all agree with me that the issue of security of lives and property has been a major cause for concern in recent times. The Boko Haram insurgence, the Niger Delta militancy, kidnapping, armed robbery and the recent upsurge in cases of killings perpetrated by Fulani herdsmen are several security breaches that have given Nigerians cause for concern.
It should be noted here that providing adequate security for lives and property of the citizens is obviously one of the major programmes of the APC governments both at the federal and state levels; and today we are all living witnesses to strides being achieved by the APC government at the state and federal levels.
In Lagos, the resolve and determination of the Governor Akin Ambode administration to wipe out violent crimes from the state has led to the establishment of the state Security Trust Fund and the purchase of sophisticated gadgets and vehicles for various security agencies in the state.
Of course, all these were achieved with necessary cooperation and support from this House of Assembly, which has played its part by giving legislative backing for the establishment of the Fund and the purchase of the security equipment.
The result of this effective and efficient collaboration among the executive, legislative and security agencies in the state has been a tremendous improvement in security in the state. Without exaggeration, I can state boldly that today, Lagosians can now sleep with their two eyes closed.
Yet, we will not rest on our oars as we are determined to completely wipe out crime of all sorts from this state. And that is the major reason the Bill we are discussing its content here today is so dear to our hearts.
This bill is aimed at giving further legal backing to community policing in the state. It is meant to further cement and legalise participation of the people especially at the grassroots in policing their various communities.
We believe that the people should be involved in the policing of their various communities because they live in the communities and are very conversant with the physical structures and people living in such communities. They are also privy to information which might elude security agents coming from outside of their communities. That is why we have always been advocating for state police.
However, if state police are not feasible at the present moment, we feel we should strengthen our locally based security outfits and that is the essence of this bill.
We value your advice, opinion and suggestions, hence the need to invite you here today for us to hear your views, which will form the major ingredients for the enactment of the bill.
I will not want to bore you with so much rhetoric. As a result, on this note, I will leave you to do justice to the purpose for which this event is organised.
I thank you all for listening.

Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa
Speaker
Lagos State House of Assembly
Wednesday, May 4, 2016