Osun ALGON Donates 60 Patrol Vehicles To Security Agencies

The Osun State chapter of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), on Saturday, donated 60 patrol vehicles to security agencies to strengthen security operations across the state.

The vehicles were handed over at the Osun State Command Headquarters of the Nigeria Police Force in Osogbo by the association’s chairman, Samuel Idowu.

Speaking at the event, Idowu recalled that the association had earlier donated 30 patrol vehicles to security agencies, describing the latest intervention as part of its commitment to safeguarding lives and property across the state.

“Just few weeks ago, we were here to unveil the distribution of the patrol vehicles and I am glad to inform this gathering that the remaining of the vehicles are here for distribution aimed at strengthening the security, maintenance of law and order in the state. This is indeed, ‘a promise made, a promise kept.’

“Security remains the bedrock of any meaningful development anywhere in the world. Without peace and stability, no society can thrive, and no government can achieve its developmental goals hence the bold steps taken by the leadership of our councils to support the security formations in the state,” Idowu said.

He attributed the initiative to the financial autonomy currently enjoyed by local governments following the landmark Supreme Court judgement, saying it had enabled local council administrations to mobilise resources and respond more effectively to local challenges.

Idowu further said, “Autonomy enables us to act without undue delays, to design solutions that are tailored to our local realities, and to take responsibility for the security and welfare of our communities.

“As council executives, we are now better positioned to initiate and execute people-oriented programmes such as this distribution of security patrol vehicles. This is a clear testament to what can be achieved when governance is brought closer to the grassroots and when local authorities are trusted with the resources and responsibility to act.

“The provision of these patrol vehicles is therefore not only a security intervention but also a practical demonstration of the effectiveness of local government autonomy in Nigeria particularly in Osun State. We are donating 60 vehicles today. But we earlier donated 30 before today making 90 in total.”

He urged the beneficiary agencies to make effective use of the vehicles and ensure they are properly maintained.

Responding on behalf of the security agencies, including the Nigerian Army, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Department of State Services and the Nigeria Immigration Service, the Osun State Commissioner of Police, Ibrahim Gotan, commended ALGON for the gesture.

CP Gotan described security as a collective responsibility and said the donation reflected the confidence reposed in security agencies to continue protecting lives and property across the state.

The CP further said, “These operational vehicles will significantly improve mobility, response time, patrol coverage, intelligence-led operations, and inter-agency collaboration in combating crime and maintaining public order.

“As beneficiaries of this support, we assure members of the public that these assets will be deployed judiciously, maintained properly, and utilized strictly for the purpose (security) for which they are intended; which is to safeguard lives and property and ensure peace across Osun State.”

Earlier, conventional and non-conventional security organisations operating in the state also received 300 motorcycles from the association to boost their operational capacity.

Receiving the motorcycles on behalf of the beneficiary organisations, Gotan praised President Bola Tinubu for granting financial autonomy to local government councils, noting that the development had empowered councils to undertake impactful initiatives.