Edo State Governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole has urged politicians to resist the temptation of playing politics with security matters in the interest of the nation.
Adams Oshiomhole
Speaking at the Oshiomhole a Security Management Workshop organised by the Department of State Security Services in Benin City, yesterday, he said playing politics with sensitive security matters will only encourage the perpetrators to do more.
He said: “Nothing else matters when we are not safe. I also want to advice those of us holding political office who have cause sometimes to make public statement that we must resist the temptation of politicizing security issues. All politicians whether of the ruling or opposition party must not join in the madness of politicizing security issues.
“If we do this, we will be encouraging kidnappers and other evil-minded people. We must resist the temptation and trust that the security agencies know what to do. Even where we have information, it is better we share it in private with the security agencies so that all of us can be on the same page”, he said.
Oshiomhole said: “Each and every one of us, being senior officials of government, people look at us that we should be able to educate those we come across on basic security issues. These people who are into violent crimes and terrorism do not live in the moon; they live with us. Sometimes they interact with us without knowing what their intentions are.
“As we all get more and more security conscious, we know what to watch out for whenever we find ourselves in public places.”
He thanked the SSS for the initiative and expressed the hope that at the end of the exercise, the participants would have comprehended basic tips on security.
Earlier, the Director of the State Command of Directorate of State Security, Mr. Bello Bakori said the workshop was to sensitize the people on the need to be security conscious.
He said most of the criminals in the society live with the people and security agencies carry out their assignments based on information.