By Ibrahim Oyewale
As part of efforts to tackle insecurity in Kogi State, the state government has commenced registration of all transporters, including commercial vehicles, motorcycles and tricycles operators in the state, to check crime rate in the state.
The Special Adviser to the state Governor, Yahaya Bello, on Security, Jerry Omodara, disclosed this while supervising the commencement of the registration exercise at Lokoja Township Stadium yesterday, stating that registration exercise became imperatives to have data base for all operators and checkmate crimes and for policy formation in the state.
Omodara pointed out that the state government intended to use the exercise to prevent influx of bad elements using the medium (transportation) to wreak havoc on the innocent citizens of the state.
He added that the exercise was intended to improve security and revenue drive for the state government, and be beneficial to all operators on the other hand, because after the registration, the number will serve as security number to curb theft and other criminal activities in the state.
“We have involved all the critical stakeholders to ensure the success of the exercise. It is for their own benefit; it is for the benefit of the people of Kogi State and state government to have good security situation in the state,” he noted.
On social intervention programmes, the security adviser noted that the data may be used for state Health Insurance Scheme to help the operators, stressing that the exercise would also help in the area of internally generated revenue for the state.
Also speaking, the Chairman of the state Internal Revenue Service (KGIRS), Mr. Yusuf Abubarka, corroborated the Special Adviser on Security, adding that it’s very essential to have the data base of the transporters operating within the state for security purpose.
He added that the exercise would be spread across the 21 local government areas of the state, stressing that every operators within the state must be registered.
