From Bola Ogunlayi
Former Commissioner of Police in Lagos and Benue States, Mr. Fatai Owoseni has been appointed by the Governor of Oyo State, Engineer Seyi Makinde, as his Special Adviser on Security Matters.
A press statement signed by the governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Taiwo Adisa and made available to journalists in Ibadan disclosed the appointment.
The statement indicated that the appointment takes effect from August 1, 2019. It indicated that Owoseni’s appointment falls in line with the recognition of security as one of the four pillars of the Makinde administration in Oyo State.
Governor Makinde had also promised to unveil a new security architecture for the state before his first 100 days in office.
The Governor, in the letter of appointment, wished Mr. Owoseni, who has been working as a security consultant since his retirement from the police after 35 years of meritorious service, success in his new assignment.
Governor Makinde also urged Owoseni to discharge his duties with absolute loyalty and dedication.
The retired Commissioner of Police was born on August 17, 1962. He retired from the Nigeria Police with the enviable rank of Commissioner of Police earlier this year.
Owoseni, a holder of a Bachelor of Arts Bachelor in International Studies and Diplomacy from the University of Benin and a Diploma in Police Management (DPM) from the University of Jos, as well as several certificates in police and professional courses at the local and international levels, began his police career in the early 80s.
He rose through the ranks as an Inspector of Police and became the Commissioner of Police in charge of General Investigations at the Force Criminal Intelligence and Investigation Department (FCIID), Abuja.
He also served as the Commissioner of Police (CP) in Lagos State, the commercial capital/nerve centre of Nigeria, which has a Police strength of over 30,000 personnel, the highest in the country.
He was reputed to have served more than two years on the Lagos hot seat, ranking among the five longest-serving (out of about 35) Commissioners of Police, who had served in the State.
While on his tour of duty in Lagos, he effectively harnessed and utilisedthe available human and material resources to ensure the safety of lives and properties as well as providing the enabling environment for the social and economic development of the former Nigerian Federal Capital city.
He was subsequently deployed to Benue State at the height of the Herdsmen and Farmers clashes and he was reputed to have recorded remarkable achievements towards quelling the spate of violence in the food basket state.
He equally served as Commissioner of Police (Administration), at the Department of Operations, Force Headquarters, Abuja, where he made immense contributions especially by ensuring the success of the collaborations between the UNDP and the Police towards the successful conduct of the 2015 general elections.
It is also on record that Owoseni contributed immensely to the overall performance of the Nigeria Police Force in the 2015 general elections particularly in the areas of personnel training and writing/production of “Handbook on guidelines for Police Officers deployed on election duties,” (the first time ever in the Police).
The retired Commissioner of Police also served as an Expert on Mission and Seconded Staff (at managerial level -P5 position) to the United Nations Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) and the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Mission in Darfur (UNAMID), while he made significant input (UN Police Component) into the United Nations Security Council Resolution on UNAMID, including the different levels of support programmes offered to the African Union by the United Nations, Department of Peacekeeping Operations (UN-DPKO).
The statement indicated that the newly-appointed Special Adviser on Security Matters is expected to bring his wealth of experience garnered over the decades through many local and international assignments to bear on the security situation in the State.
