The National Economic Council (NEC) says there is need for states to pool resources together and set up a security trust fund in view of the huge cost of maintaining security.
Gov. Babajide Sanwo-olu of Lagos State briefed State House correspondents after the 100th NEC meeting presided over Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, on Thursday, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, NAN reports.
He said that NEC’s Committee on Security and Policing headed by Gov. Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti with some governors, Inspector-General of Police (IG-P), National Security Adviser (NSA) and Chief of Defence Staff as members presented a report to the council.
“At the end of the committee’s deliberations and presentation to council, the council was generally informed that the security situation in the council has tremendously improved and we have seen improved zonal collaborations and meetings with the various zones.
“We have seen a lot integration and communication at zonal level; among the governors and security operatives at the various zones.
“We have also seen a significant reduction in the proliferation of small arms as a result primarily of the border closure; there is a need for state governments to escalate and to manage situations before any breakdown snowball into ethnic or religious crisis.
“So, all the states are also managing any fallout and they are informing other senior security operatives.
“It was also mentioned that because of the huge resources required that it is advised that states also pool together to set up security trust fund so that we don’t have everybody trying to do the same thing everywhere,’’ he said.
He said that it was also emphasised that community policing was important as it would in reducing youth unemployment as the programme could be aligned with youth employment efforts.
More so, Sanwo-olu said that another committee, a NEC sub-committee, also headed by Gov. Fayemi tasked with collaborating with the Minister and Ministry of Mines and Steel Development, briefed the council.
He said that the highlight of the committee’s report was that the ministry needed to do more advocacies at the various states level.
“ Yes, the committee realises and appreciates the fact that it is the ministry that issues out licences right to various licencees to come and mine but there is a need for them to have advocacies, to have collaboration with the states.
“There is a need also for the ministry to provide details and time frame for the commissioning of what they call six cadastral offices in zones.
“There is also the need for issues regarding confirmation of consent by communities to be done at the state level, what do I mean? When they issue licences out to miners, they usually get a no objection from the community.
“But it was escalated and said that in no objection, the state also needs to be aware of so that the states can also validate and help them get those no objections issues.
“Finally, it was also suggested that there was a need to review the Mining Act in order to deal with current challenges faced by the sector.’’
The governor said that the Minister of Health also made a presentation to the council.
He said that the presentation made to council indicated that Nigeria had reached a third year without a record of polio.
Sanwo-olu said that the last Wild Polio Virus (WPV) was in 2016 as Nigeria has not had any incidence the last three years.
“So, we are moving to the stage where we will get a certification that we are free.
“We also have huge coverage-about 50 per cent from 38 per cent in 2003; as compared to two regions in Africa, I think we are doing very well as a nation.”
