Provost implores Lalong to strengthen Security in Campus

The rising cases of rape, robbery and other criminal activities confronting the College of Education, Gindiri in Plateau State, the Acting Provost, Prof. Cletus Tanimu Gotan, has appealed to state Governor and Moderator to the college, Simon Lalong, to take proactive steps towards providing adequate security network within and around the college.

This was as the Provost said such measures, which had become necessary, would go a long way in curbing cases of rape and armed robbery in the institution.

Gotan made the call during the combined 28th-33rd convocation of the college, where the first Executive Governor of the state, the Late Chief Solomon Daushep Lar; Deputy Speaker of House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Ahmed Idris and three others eminent Nigerians were honoured by the college during the ceremony held at the Convocation Square of the institution.

He said: “Majority of our students are currently living off campus, a development which makes it extremely difficult for the management to adequately provide security for them, especially the female students who are vulnerable to all sorts of abuse. In fact, cases of rapes, sexual abuse and drug abuse, while several cases of killings have been recorded.

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“To underscore our priority on security, I would also like to appeal to the state government to consider the urgency in establishing a police post close to the college gate to provide additional security to our students as well as to curb incidences of theft, rape and armed robbery, which seems to be on the rise around the off campus hostels with high concentration of students.”

He also challenged the students to be good behaviour as ambassadors of the college and to be conscious of as well as shun corruption and fraudulent activities ravaging the society.

Meanwhile, Governor Lalong, in his response to the requests of the Provost, however, directed the state Commissioner of Police to establish a police post in the college to avert further rape and killing of students.

The governor said: “I have noted the challenges enumerated by the Acting Provost about the issues relating to infrastructure, security and funding, among others.

“On security, we shall make necessary contact with the people and relevant security agencies to facilitate the citing of a police out-post close to the college campus to help in curbing the incidences of crime in and around the school campus.”

Lalong, who frowned at the reports of encroachment on the college land by land grabbers, directed the state Commissioner for Higher Education to immediately liaise with the Commissioner for Lands and management of the college in order to address the situation.

He assured the college community that his administration would ensure the completion of the perimeter fencing of the college to deter further encroachment on its land, saying he did not want a repeat of the encroachment of University of Jos (UNIJOS) land in the college.

“Let me warn all land grabbers in the state to desist from such acts because the state government will not fold its arms and watch lawlessness being perpetrated. The State Executive Council has already forwarded a bill to the House of Assembly against land grabbing, and once it is passed into law, offenders will be prosecuted and jailed according to the law,” the governor said.

Source:Newstelegrahng.com