Security and the pragmatic approach of Gov. Diri – By; Esumai Ambros

Unlike years past in Bayelsa State, the issue of security is witnessing a new and workable approach under Governor Douye Diri.

The conventional policing is gradually being boosted by the political will of the Gov. Douye Diri’s zero tolerance to crime and criminality and the involvement of the grassroots in the policing of streets, communities and local government councils.

Already, the state has witnessed calm and reduced the reports of clashes among rival cult groups, killings, and open criminality. Admittedly, whatever pockets of crime and criminality witnessed are being tackled head-on by existing security apparatus including the non-conventional Bayelsa Vigilante Service, the Bayelsa Volunteer and many others servicing the nooks and cranny of Bayelsa.

In line with it’s commitment to securing the lives of the people, Governor Douye Diri administration, armed with provisions from existing laws provided by his predecessor, Senator Seriake Dickson, reviewed and expanded on the security architecture in the state.

With an existing security outfit known as Operation Doo Akpo, which literarily means “Peace of mind, Gov. Diri rejigged its operations to effectively combat crime with the provision of combat ready patrol vehicles and communication gadgets.

Gov. Diri, who has left everyone convinced that he would not play politics with security of lives of the people, re-launched the State Security outfit known as Operation Door Akpo and the commissioning of 50 new operational vehicles, 40 motorbikes and security gadgets for their operations in the state.

He also signed into law the Community Safety Corps Bill passed by the state House of Assembly, warning criminal elements to henceforth steer clear of the state. He declared that the exercise was to reinvigorate the security architecture of the state to make it more efficient and effective in crime fighting,” the operations of the state security outfit was not to usurp the functions of the conventional security agencies but to support and collaborate with them in efforts to rid the state of criminals”.

​​Diri said the priority of his administration is to ensure the prosperity of all, which cannot be achieved without security of lives and property, describing crime fighting as a collective effort, he appealed to security agencies to conceal the identity of informants to encourage people to report criminal activities.

Diri also appealed to Bayelsans to provide information to the security agencies that would lead to more effective crime fighting. He thanked security agencies for their role in ensuring the relative peace in the state. The approach is convincing and working for Bayelsa and Bayelsans.

At the last count, the prosperity administration has resolved contentious issues in communities around the State through the office of the State Deputy Governor, Senator Lawrence Ewrhudjakpor. The approach, security experts in the state declared is pragmatic and treat issue of security at the root before they germinate into communal crisis and political one.

The present administration of Gov. Douye Diri have also been passed as a prosperous administration that operates an open door policy which has embraced other politicians across the divide and ensure that security of lives is assured. The prosperity administration has also left the door open for those involved in crime and criminality to reconsider their ways and support prosperous minded individuals by abandoning​ criminal, ungodly and inhumane act and have​ a change of mind and leave that illegitimate business.

In his decision to sign the Community Safety Corps Bill into law, Gov. Douye Diri noted that his intention is to complement the work of the constitutional recognized security agencies. These non-conventional security outfits, Bayelsa Vigilante and Bayelsa Volunteer outfits, have shown capacity and were not left out and were provided with buses.
The duo of Bayelsa Vigilante Service and Bayelsa Volunteer has become exemplary and result oriented with intelligence driven arrests recorded in popular Swali, Tombia-Etegwe roundabout and other areas of the State capital.

For security experts, the State Vigilante Service and the Bayelsa Volunteer will operate better when provided with a constitutional role of working at the grassroots but report to the conventional authorities of the Police. Their role in the recently passed Community Safety Corps Bill should be amended to include operations in the Eight Local Government areas of the State with coordinating office in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital.

The Bayelsa State Vigilante and Volunteers, especially the vigilante headed by Mr. Doubiye Alagba have also added to the need to involve youths in security and contribute to the safety of others in the state. The re-orientation is yielding results with surveillance units mounted in strategic flashpoints, like the popular Tombia- Etegwe roundabout, Swali Market area and its environs to ensure adequate security which over time has reduced crime and criminality in those areas that used to be hideout for criminals in the capital city

The deployment in of the Terrestrial Trunked Radio (TETRA) which meets the standard of Professional Mobile Radio (PMR) for public safety and security. Active and continuous operation of a platform with capacity to coordinate multiple simultaneous responses.

In the words of the prosperity Governor, Senator Douye Diri, the vision for a prosperous Bayelsa is evolving and ongoing and the present administration is the first to acknowledge that despite the undeniable progress, there are areas to improve and gains to consolidate upon.

Security, and many other, which has provided the foundation for the undeniable infrastructural development being achieved in the last two years, would be sustained. “This is the time for genuine friends of the state to align with the prosperity vision so that together we can transform challenges to opportunity and prosperity”.

Esumai Ambros writes from Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital.

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