Governor Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State has said government spent over fifteen billion naira last year to beef up security and ensure the safety of lives and property.

Governor Ambode, who spoke at a dinner held at the Lagos House in Ikeja, in honour of the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, who was on a two-day working visit to the State, said security, being one of the tripods upon which he administration was built, had improved drastically since he assumed office.

Ambode attributed the development to the sustainability of the Lagos State Security Trust Fund, a template, he said had helped to champion funding of security agencies to carry out effective policing across the State.

Recommending the Fund model to other States, he said the initiative had gotten serious buy-in by the public, showing that out of the fifteen billion naira spent on security last year, the private sector contributed over five billion naira.

The Governor particularly commended the efforts of former Inspector General of Police, Musiliu Smith, who was the Chairman of the Fund, saying the model he midwifed in twenty-zero-seven had changed the face of security in the State.

Stressing that security remains fundamental to the development of the nation’s economy, the Governor assured that government would continue to support the Police and other security agencies.

Besides, Ambode also commended the IGP for his commitment to ensure effective policing across the country and especially in Lagos, however urging him to continue to do more in that regard.

Earlier, Idris said despite the cosmopolitan nature of the State that makes policing difficult, officers posted to Lagos were enjoying the very best in terms of equipment and welfare.

He said the visit afforded him the opportunity to learn more strategies adopted by the State Government in the business of securing lives and property.

The Police Boss said he was highly honoured by the reception given to him since he arrived, saying that the hospitality of Lagosians was second to none.