The management of Ogun State Community Social Orientation and Safety Corps (better known as So-Safe Corps), a security arm of the state government has explained its constitutional responsibilities in the fight against crimes and criminality, contrary to blackmail attempt in some quarters to discredit the establishment created by law.
Reacting to the wrong perception of the agency, its Commander, Dr. Soji Ganzalo said, in a statement, that it was established through the state’s Community, Social Orientation and Safety Corps, Law 2017.
“This background information became necessary to clear air on its legality, contrary to insinuations by those not conversant with the law establishing it, and now making attempt to blackmail the organisation, having been misinformed or deliberate ignorance of the law”, Ganzalo said.
The statement explained that a bill for a law to establish the Ogun State Community Social Orientation and Safety Corps (So-Safe Corps) Agency for the Regulation and Control of Community Social Orientation and Safety Corps Activities and Connected Purposes commenced on 27 December 2017.
The statement further read: “The roles, as established with the law, include assisting the police and other security agencies within the state to maintain law and order by gathering information about crime, crime in progress, suspicious activities and crime suspects among other things”, the statement reads.
“This also include putting structure in place to ensure that hoodlums and cult groups do not have opportunity to operate in communities or anywhere within the state by undertaking routine motorised patrol day and night, as well as reducing the crime rate and ensuring that offenders are identified and made to account for their misdeed and following up on arrest of offenders to the court and ensuring justice.
“The law, in the same vein, provides timely reporting of suspicious activities and crimes in progress to the police or other security agencies, improving relationship between the police and the community as it concerns law enforcement.
“The law equally stipulates providing the police with relevant information that will enhance their understanding of how to effectively police the communities, as well as to support the cause of community development especially on issues relating to security.
“Without prejudice to the provisions of Section 2 of this law, the agency shall engage the service of volunteers (eg ex-serving men, retirees, baales, chiefs and CDA officials) as Special Marshals in mass orientation of their communities in security consciousness and campaign against social vices.
“The agency shall be the coordinating body for the uniformed and non-uniformed community corps established and operating within all the local government and local council development”.
The statement said that, “having provided background to the creation of the corps, which should serve as better information to the legal role of the officials, it is also pertinent to correct wrong notions by the social media, which questioned if the agency on its own purchase arms and has database among others
“This misleading information has been brought to our attention, hence, the need to address it, as placed in the mischievous write up, which raised issues on the purchase of arms, database, service numbers of officers, human rights desks among others.
“For the avoidance of doubt, we operate open door policy, and our headquarters office can be visited for physical check on some questions raised, as addressed below, and we are also ready to provide additional information, if need arises.
“On the purchase of arms, let it be made clear that the command does not purchase arms on its own, but government is responsible for the purchase for onward transmission to the command for operational use.
“The issue raised on data base for officers, this has been in existence with service code of each official, available for check as stated above, and on record of dismissed officers, the data base also available with records.
“There was also an issue raised in a piece on the social media, whether the state command meets with local commanders. To put the record straight, the management holds regular meeting, twice in a month, which involves all stakeholders and strictly on security matters.
“We also operate human rights desk, which focused on peace conflicts and resolution, as well as directorate of counselling. All these are open for a check by the public.
“And on the questions of power to arrest and detain suspect, the command has the constitutional duty to arrest and transfer suspect(s) to the police, while the supervising Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs provide finances for smooth running of the affairs of the command”.
The Commander called on the public to join the agency in its proactive measure to fight criminals in the state and the environs, as well as report any of its officers found wanting, with assurance that necessary disciplinary measures would be meted to such erring officials
He advised those behind the unfounded claim to discredit the good work of the organisation, to retrace their steps, turn a new leaf and stop insinuations, which hold no water. He emphasised that security should be seen as the responsibility of every citizen to jointly make life meaningful.
“We want to once again use this opportunity to seek for cooperation of members of the public, and endeavour to report any established misconduct of any officials to the authority, rather than insinuating and be rest assure that appropriate action shall be taken, as we are known for discipline and disciplinary actions”, Ganzalo emphasised.
