By Edith Igbokwe
The Executive Chairman of Oshodi-Isolo LGA, Hon. Bolaji Muse Ariyoh, has appealed to the police officers attached to the burnt Makinde Police station to reconcile with the community and work hand in hand to achieve success in securing the community.
Ariyoh made the appeal at a reconciliatory meeting of the Mafoluku/Ewu community represented by the twenty CDA executives and police officers of the station led by the station DPO CSP Francis Ebhuoma at Pa Olabintan Marriage registry of the local government.
As reported by his media aides, the Local Government chairman, who was represented at the meeting by the Vice-Chairman, TPL Daisi Oso, appealed to both parties to show empathy, love one another, and remember that both the police and community need love to achieve peace and security in the community.
The chairman was quoted as saying: “We should start the healing of the heart by reaching out and extend the hand of love to ourselves, we all have learned our lessons and if given the opportunity to reverse the situation am sure we would not go through that precarious situation again.
“It is not “forgive and forget” as if nothing wrong had ever happened, but “forgive and go forward,” building on the mistakes of the past and the energy generated by reconciliation to create a new future.”
He also appealed to the residents who are still in possession or know who is in possession of the looted properties to return them to the executive members of the CDA in their communities for onward transfer to the office of Special Assistant on community matters at the local government.
He reiterated his commitment to the security of lives and properties in Oshodi-Isolo local government.
Reacting, the Makinde DPO, CSP Francis Ebhuoma, thanked the local government for the reconciliatory meeting, saying it would re-build harmonious relationship between the police and the community.
He said the meeting also served as a moral booster to his officers but appealed to members of the community to return some of the assets stolen to appropriate quarters as directed.
He also appealed to the authority to expedite action in re-building the burnt station which serves as offices to them as he expressed confidence in his officers to provide adequate security for the community.
The CDC chairman, Alhaji Olawoyin, sympathised with all the victims of the EndSARS protest and expressed hope that those with the looted properties would returned them as he advised every member of the community to always see police as their friends.
The Special Adviser to the LG Chairman on Agriculture, Youth & Sports, Hon. Saheed Animashaun, urged both parties to spread the reconciliation message in their community and preach love.
“The police and the community must live in peace and harmony to have a secured community,” he concluded.
