… Ambode donates N55m to families of slain security officers
By Moshood Adebayo
Scarcity and fluctuation of foreign exchange has forced Lagos State Government to abandon its proposed 13,000 Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) project.
Commissioner for Science and Technology, Mr. Olufemi Odubiyi, who made the disclosure yesterday during a press briefing at Alausa, Ikeja, said the state government was forced to review its strategy for the installation.
Government had, last year, announced plans to install 13,000 CCTV cameras across the state, to boost security.
As a result of the development, Odubiyi said the government decided to embark on the project in phases.
Meanwhile, Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, yesterday, presented cheques of N55 million to families of security officers killed by suspected militants in the recent Ishawo, Ikorodu crisis.
Governor Ambode said his administration will continue to support security officers and their families in the state. The officers were killed after successfully rescuing kidnapped victims kept in the riverine area by the militants.
Represented by Secretary to the State Government, Mr. Tunji Bello, at the cheque presentation ceremony, the governor said the donation was in line with the pledge to review insurance benefits to security operatives in the state.
He said the presentation was in consonance with the earlier promise of the review of the insurance benefits for security operatives in the state with a pledge to pay N10 million to any officer killed while on active service.
His words: “This is to appreciate what the gallant officers have done; they sacrificed their lives in the course of protecting several of us and we have to appreciate them. As a matter of fact, if we don’t do this, who will? The governor has always said we must continue to appreciate those who paid the supreme sacrifice for our lives because they died for us.
“We must continue to appreciate them because if we don’t do this, who will be ready to pay the supreme sacrifice for our safety? The officers are sent out to protect us and when they are going, they are not even sure of coming back and having paid the supreme sacrifice, should we leave them just like that, definitely not, and it is in appreciation of what they have done that we are doing this,” he said.
Ambode said the move was in appreciation of the supreme sacrifices paid by the late officers, in the course of ensuring the safety of residents of the state.
The families of four police officers, who died during the operation got N10 million each, while an officer who sustained injury during the attack and still recuperating in the hospital, Sgt. Alexandra Ugadu, got N5 million.
Also, a cheque of N10 million was presented to the family of a military officer, Capt. A. Mohammed who died during the attack.
Those, whose families benefitted from the state insurance scheme are Inspector Godwin Iroagbalahi, Inspector Francis Pemi, Sgt. Mamuda Dembo and Sgt. Idor Ekoro.