Obaseki commits to upgrade of Police Training School, reassures safety

* Calls For Restructuring Of NDDC
The Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, has said his government has concluded plans for the upgrade of the Police Training School in Ogida Barracks, Egor Local Government Area of the state.

Governor Obaseki, who disclosed this when the Edo State Police Commissioner, Philip Ogbadu, led him on an inspection tour of the facility, said his administration remains committed to the safety and security of lives and property of Edo citizens.

The governor noted that the upgrade of the Ogida training school will provide the State with a permanent training facility that will benefit policemen and other security agencies, equipping them with skills needed in discharge of their duties effectively and efficiently.

Obaseki said: “We are fortunate to have the Ogida training facility in the State to train policemen. We have been in touch with the police headquarters and agreed that Edo State Government will intervene in upgrading and improving the training facility and make it available for training the policemen and other members of the security architecture in the State.

“We are redesigning the security architecture for the state and it will enable us to have a permanent training facility for about five or six squads at a time, made up of fifty men in each squad.

“They will be equipped with introductory training in security, intermediate and advanced training as well in different levels. It can’t happen with the facility in a state of disrepair.”

“This is why we have come in to do an evaluation and assessment ourselves. The clinic needs to be rehabilitated and re-equipped and the hostels need to be rebuilt and re-equipped for decent habitation. The classroom needs to be rebuilt and the training ground and the obstacles need to be upgraded and repaired,” he added.

The governor further noted, “the state government is concerned about the state of the security system and cannot leave it for the Federal Government alone. Security is everybody’s concern and as a state government, we have decided to put our money where our mouth is and use what we have to try and solve our problem”

Earlier, the Police Commissioner said, “as a Force, we are happy that this facility is going to be upgraded by the Edo State Government. It will make it easier for us and other security outfits to carry out refresher courses and training here at the Ogida Training facility.”

Meanwhile, Governor Obaseki has reiterated the call for the restructuring of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) to drive development of the South-South region.

The governor made the call during a meeting with the South-South Zone Working Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) at the Government House in Benin City.

Obaseki said, “In the South-South, we must stand up to defend ourselves economically, politically and security wise. We have pretenders in the region who try to exploit the region and we must stop them.”

According to him, the South-South region has the needed resources to develop itself, but the inability to do this has impeded growth.

He added: “The current structure of the NDDC has caused underdevelopment in the region, with the federal government not showing any concern.

“What is going on in NDDC today is totally untenable. NDDC can’t do any work in Edo and other states in the South-South. You can’t use the resources meant for the region to develop other regions of the country.”

Obaseki expressed worry that “the federal government seems not to care about the scandalS associated with NDDC. We have enough money in the region to build infrastructure and revive the economy. We can do it ourselves by stopping the interference.”