Merit Ibe
Chief Security Officer of 6th Avenue, FESTAC Town, Lagos, Angel Udeogalanya, has awarded policemen who provided security in the area.
Udeogalanya said the “motivational awards” was to appreciate her colleagues and the police officers that had been making the work of security easy for her.
She admitted that though the task of securing the area had been daunting, the awardees encouraged her in everyway.
Faced with challenges as a woman in a field dominated by men, Udeogalanya said she has been able to prove her mettle in the area of fighting crime in FESTAC.
According to her, the motivation award, which is the maiden event of her security outfit, would be held yearly to encourage and motivate officers to do more in securing the area and the state at large.
She said the profession consists of good and bad people, adding that not all police officers are bad but that the image of the police is being tarnished by the bad eggs in the system.
“I am appreciating the good ones. So, if there are the bad ones, they should change so as to be rewarded too.”
As a woman, the challenges confronting her have been innumerable, but she said she has been able to overcome them to tackle the menace of crime in the area with the support of her colleagues, including the police commissioners, area commanders, and officers.
Udeogalanya appealed to the Federal Government to equip the police and increase their remuneration to motivate them.
President of the FESTAC Town Residents Association, Shola Fakorede, who commended the award, said it was meant to motivate those who have contributed positively to the safety of the society in their own way.
Fakorede, who admitted that Nigeria was yet to be 100 percent secure, appealed to everyone to be involved in the business of securing the environment.
He said we all need to work with the security operatives and share information as regards the community, adding that that is why the police came up with community policing, where everyone will be involved.
He also applauded Udogalanya and her team for the job of securing the area fearlessly, saying it was a rare task for a woman.
Fakorede also commended her husband, who has been supporting her.
“Since her tenure, she has been able to track down some robbers and kidnappers and there has been a rapid development. We will continue to support her,” Fakorede said.