By EBUN SESSOU
Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mr. Adeyemi Ikuforiji has said  that the Security Trust Fund Law passed by the assembly in 2008 has effectively checkmated armed robbery, violence and other social vices in the state.

Ikuforiji spoke when the Executive Committee of Crime Reporters Association of Nigeria, led by its Vice President, Mr. Raymond Tedunjaye presented him with the twin-award of “Best Security-Conscious Speaker and Best House of Assembly in Nigeria.”

Ikuforiji admitted that the growing population of the state remained a great challenge to the government, arguing that this made the Assembly to make laws that could ease movement of the people and create enabling environment.

According to him, there was  need for an enabling environment for businesses to strive despite the growing population in Lagos.

His words: “Other states in the country have much to gain from the initiative of LagosState, some of them have been trying to replicate the developments that have been taking place in the state and this cannot be achieved without a healthy competition”.

While presenting the award, Tedunjaye said the Assembly won the award as a result of the laws passed to safeguard lives and property in the state. He said no other state in the federation has the security machinery that Lagos provides.

“You have fulfilled your responsibility as legislative body, by providing legal framework for everything to work well in the state. No state can parade the kind of security equipment we have in Lagos, except LagosState itself. This was made possible by some important laws like Security Trust Fund, Child Trafficking and Child Rights Abuse laws. Implementation of these laws has ensured safety of lives and property in the state. It is because of this that the Speaker and the Assembly was picked as the winner of this award,” Tedunjaye argued.

Speaker of Delta State House of Assembly, Mr. Victor Ochei who witnessed the ceremony  advised crime reporters to be  more focused on developmental efforts of governments in their stories.