By; Mohammed Kawu, Bauchi
The Bauchi Governor, Senator Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed, taking a swipe into the security challenges across the state and the country at large, has reiterated his advocacy for the establishment of state police, saying it will complement the Federal Police Force.
“The State Police will complement what the Federal Police is doing, because the police is overstretched. What is the ratio of the police to the citizens, it is very high”, the governor queried, and commended the state commissioner, CP Auwal Musa Mohammed for the command’s efforts in curbing crimes and criminality in the state.
Senator Bala Mohammed was speaking at merit awards presentation ceremony organized by the State Police Command for security stakeholders, where he assured that whenever the state government is doing palliation, it would remember the police junior officers whom, he argued, are suffering because of anger and hunger.
At the awards presentation ceremony which was adjudged to be the first of its kind since the creation ofBauchi statein 1976, Governor Bala attributed the feat achieved in crimes and criminality prevention to the stakeholding, synergy, collaboration and understanding between the various security agencies, among others.
Governor Bala said, “We know our problems and challenges, from the leadership of the state government, from the government itself, the security agencies, the traditional institution, the local government, do we come to understand that with synergy and understanding, we can move forward”.
Mohammed assured that his administration is working tirelessly to maintain law and order in the state, in a manner that it’s noticed by even the international community that pulls investors interests into the state, thereby making Bauchi the next investment destination.
He said, “That’s why all sorts of security challenges ranging from banditry, kidnapping, armed robbery, criminal tendencies of all sorts, even violence against women are being drastically minimized. And it is this kind of enabling environment that is allowing us to to provide roads, infrastructure, health, education and water supply”.
The Governor, while expressing appreciation to the security family of Bauchi, traditional rulers, and all other leaders including the spiritual ones for their understanding, stated “Our corporate bodies, our contractors and development partners can come without fear to execute their projects and programmes that have lasting impact on our lives”.
Senator Bala therefore assured that the state government would deploy intellect and technology so as to have feedback and do things the way they were being done, saying it is unacceptable for people to be taken in broad daylight without being caught, though “Bauchi is different, and it is not about me, it is about the structure that is established by the military, police, the SSS, and all other security agencies, including the hunters”.
“This is the kind of synergy we need, the officers in field, the DPOs, the bridge commanders, with all the security outfits looking, definitely with kind of synergy, I will be so happy that at least, we will take this to the level where we will be calling for the state to be given the opportunity to establish the state police”.
Governor Bala further explained that Bauchi state vision is to create state holding with community engagement, foresight, drive and determination that is being seeing today which Allah has given sincere leadership across the security agencies in the state.
The Governor was the first recipient of the awards which, according to the organizer, are geared to ginger stakeholders in the fight against crimes and criminality in the state, saying senator Bala bagged the award in recognition of his expanded services towards promoting peace and security in the state.
The commissioner said, “I want reassure His Excellency with this kind of leadership you have given us in the past eight months that I assume duty in Bauchi state, we will continue to work 24/7 to ensure that Bauchi state is free from all violence crimes”..
Bauchi First Lady, Dr. A’isha Bala Mohammed was the second recipient of the awards which, according to the police commissioner, was in recognition of her crusade of reducing the menace of sexual and gender based violence in the state to the bearest minimum.
Dr. A’isha Bala Mohammed received the award tagged, “Champion Against Gender-Based Violence” following her persistent and tireless efforts, as well as complementing the command’s efforts in fighting criminal cases, especially the sexual and gender-based violence in the state.
Represented by the wife of secretary to the state government, Hajia Habiba Ibrahim Kashim, the first lady pledged to continue to support the gender unit and legal department of the state police command for the smooth running of their activities.
Dr. A’isha who heads the Committee Against Sexual and Gender-based violence in the state in the past three years, has been working in close collaboration with the Gender unit of police command with the aim of responding to cases of SGBV.
A’isha, first Sarauniya of Bauchi had also donated one Hilux vehicle, some laptops, printers, unlimited power supply devices, packets of AT duplication papers, photo-copying machines to the gender unit and legal department of the Bauchi police command.
The first lady further assured of her continued support in breaking the culture of silence by building confidence in survivors and relatives of SGBV victims, as well as continued supply of logistics to facilitate investigations of sexually-based violence cases.
She appealed to the state police commissioner to ensure that all SGBV cases are treated justly and not compromised, and commended the police command for it’s zeal and dedication towards the fight against gender-based violence in the state.
All the six Royal Fathers in the state, Emir Rilwanu Suleiman Adamu of Bauchi; Emir Umar Farouk 11 of Katagum; Emir Ahmed Suleiman of Misau; Emir Nuhu Ahmad Wabi 111; Emir Yunusa Muhammad Danyaya of Ningi; and Emir Usman Bilyaminu Othman of Dass have each collected an award for the Reward of Excellence in peace maintence in respective domains
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