---Retired Lagos top civil servants call for stronger intelligence coordination, community participation
By Kayode Olopade
The Association of Lagos State Retired Heads of Service and Permanent Secretaries (ALARHOSPS) has called for a more inclusive, innovative and accountable approach to security governance, urging government, security agencies, community leaders and private-sector stakeholders to deepen collaboration in protecting lives and property.
The call was contained in a communique issued at the end of the Association’s 13th Annual Summit, held at the Adeyemi Bero Auditorium, Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos.
The summit, which focused on security governance and the need to strengthen collective responsibility, stressed that sustainable security could not be achieved through the efforts of government and formal security institutions alone.
The communique, read by Mr. Jafar Sanuth on behalf of the President of ALARHOSPS, Otunba Nurudeen Ojora-Adesiyan, noted that the changing security environment required a viable and sustainable security network capable of responding effectively to the needs of all citizens and residents.
According to the Association, achieving this objective requires sustained collaboration between formal security institutions and community actors, with greater emphasis on shared vigilance, timely information exchange and public participation.
It therefore urged the Lagos State Government to institutionalise and strengthen regular engagement between government, policing agencies and communities to rebuild public trust and encourage greater participation in security initiatives.
ALARHOSPS also recommended sustained public awareness campaigns, information-sharing mechanisms, conflict-resolution training and greater transparency in security operations.
It said such measures would help address concealment of information, public apathy and mistrust, which could undermine efforts to prevent and combat crime.
The retired senior civil servants further called for the establishment of an integrated security coordination and intelligence system in Lagos State to facilitate faster information gathering, analysis and response to emerging security threats.
The Association stressed that such a system should extend beyond the boundaries of Lagos, advocating closer security collaboration with other states in the South-West region.
It said stronger inter-state intelligence sharing and coordinated security operations would enhance the capacity of the region to tackle security challenges that transcend state boundaries.
The summit also commended the Lagos State Government for its continued support for the annual gathering, describing the summit as an important platform for examining critical issues affecting governance and public administration.
ALARHOSPS explained that the summit was conceived as a veritable forum for retired senior public servants to bring their wealth of experience to bear on topical issues of governance, security and service delivery.
The Association noted that recommendations emerging from the annual gathering were aimed at contributing practical and useful ideas to strengthen governance and promote sustainable development in Lagos State and Nigeria.
It reaffirmed its commitment to using the experience and expertise of its members to support initiatives capable of promoting good governance, effective public service and improved security outcomes.
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