Lagos Taskforce rolls out reforms to boost accountability,

By Olakunle Olafioye

The Lagos State Environmental and Special Offences (Taskforce) Unit has rolled out major reforms aimed at strengthening its operations, promoting accountability and professionalism among its operatives and to bridge the communication gap between the public and the unit.

The Chairman of the Taskforce, CSP Adetayo Akerele, made the disclosure at a media parley held at the Lagos State Taskforce headquarters, Bolade, Oshodi, Lagos, where he briefed newsmen about the recent activities of the unit.

The task force chairman, who noted that security is a collective responsibility of every resident of the state, announced the launch of the Complaint Response Unit of the task force as parts of efforts to further enhance communication between the unit and members of the public. The Complaint Response Unit which has two dedicated mobile lines -09138555111 and 09137555111, according to him, will afford residents of the state the opportunity to report emergencies and lodge complaints directly to the taskforce.

Akerele also announced the introduction and distribution of specially branded operational jackets for ad-hoc security personnel drawn from the Nigerian Legion, in a move aimed at strengthening transparency, professionalism and public trust. The taskforce boss said the initiative was designed primarily to ensure easy identification of personnel during field operations, while addressing long-standing public concerns about the conduct and composition of enforcement teams.

“The jackets are not just uniforms; they are symbols of accountability. Every operative on the field can now be easily identified, and this will help curb misconduct while reassuring members of the public,” he said.

While explaining the challenge the outfit faces in sustaining the gains of the activities of the task force, he called on Lagosians to partner with the unit in ensuring that laws and order are maintained and sustained after the task force assignment in their localities.

“Looking at the size of Lagos State and looking at the enormity of the task before us, there is need for the people to assist us in ensuring that the situation does not return. We know that people may not be able to tackle the menace the way we do but people can pick up their phones and call us to alert us about developments after our operations. We can then follow up,” he stated.

He lamented that people sometimes erroneously ascribed activities of other sister special units to the state task force.