The ACEO, Mr. Bolarinwa Peter making a salient point during the interview.
Members of the University Community have been advised to take their personal security serious as the country goes to the polls for the 2019 general elections.
Giving the advice was the Assistant Chief Environmental Officer, Mr. Peter Bolarinwa, in an exclusive interview with FUNAAB Bulletin.
His words, “The first thing you need to have at the back of your mind is your personal security which other forms of security in life rely on”. This, according to him is because personal security is the most viable form of security and the platform upon which other forms of security depend. For all the threats that abound, if you think the police, the DSS, Civil Defence or the Nigerian Army are there for you, you may be deceiving yourself. They are for community security, collective security and they are relying on you to do your best. You need to know that your personal security is delicate, fragile and needs to be handled with care”, he added.
Mr. Bolarinwa added that the steps to take to ensure personal security include vigilance and being pro-active by using all the senses God has given us as humans. He listed the senses to include the eye, the ear, the nose, the mouth and the sense of touch.
“In any environment you find yourself, be conscious of such environment by using your eyes to observe everything around you, your nose to perceive if there are security threats, your ears to listen to conversations and other senses to determine when to take action”, he said.
The Nigeria Police Division Headquarters, Harmony Estate, Alabata Road
The Assistant Chief Environmental Officer highlighted some of the critical steps that members of the University Community can take to exhibit pro-activeness to include securing your property, whether at home or in the office place by reinforcing your locks; protecting your house from thieves and burglars, do not advertise what you have through unnecessary exposure in the public, reduce your attendance at social gatherings, particularly night parties and ensure you refrain from taking alcohol.
On the 2019 general elections, the Security Chief advised all eligible voters to go out en-masse and vote for the candidates of their choice. While urging caution during discussions and arguments on political parties and their candidates, he appealed to all voters to be vigilant and pro-active at polling units in order to remain safe.
Mr. Bolarinwa said any member of staff that would be involved in election duty should comply strictly with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) guidelines and rules towards ensuring that the 2019 elections is free, fair and credible.
The security expert disclosed that security threats exist everywhere hence members of the Environmental Unit are stationed at strategic places on campus to protect all stakeholders in the University Community. Besides, he said it is their job to protect the properties owned by everyone on campus and students who live off campus. This necessitated the establishment of Harmony Police Station, to see to the protection of lives and properties in the adjourning communities of Harmony, Oluwo-Keesi, Isolu, Camp etc. He added that the Environmental Unit also assists in boosting the corporate image of the University.