All the Southwest Governors on January 9, 2020 converged for the commissioning of the Operation Amotekun in the ancient largest ...
All the Southwest Governors on January 9, 2020
converged for the commissioning of the
Operation Amotekun in the ancient largest city of Ibadan which is the headquarters of Oyo State recently to assist in combating series of
unfortunate events particularly Various criminal
activities both in South West region and the
nation at large.
However series of protests greeted the formation of the security outfit as residents protested to Solidarised with Southwest Governors on the laudable security matters.
Consequently debate of various forms on the
matter equally resurfaced to either support it or
not and to give legislative backing to the outfit and make it a law.
Meanwhile Residents and citizens of Osun State were not left out as they thronged the major streets of Osogbo, the state capital in their large numbers to fraternize with Southwest governors on the recently established Southwest Security outfit popularly called Operation Amotekun.
The residents who were chanting solidarity songs marched from Nelson Mandela Freedom Park through Oke-fia down to Oja Oba all in Osogbo metropolis.
The Federal Government through the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami declared the security outfit illegal as issues of defense and security are under the exclusive list and not with the states.
The Chairman, Yoruba World Congress Osun State Chapter, and convener of the peaceful rally, Dr Akin Adejuwon said the rally is aimed at creating awareness, mobilizing people and to informing them that Amotekun has come to stay
on their behalf.
“It is not a protest but a walk of mobilization and awareness and sensitization of people to the fact that Amotekun is being deployed on their
behalf.”
While explaining the need for Amotekun in the Southwest, he said Amotekun is the
instantaneous response to a very serious problem that is very typical in the Southwestern part of Nigeria.
“The Southwestern part has been known to be
the most peaceful part of Nigeria for generations and we have discovered that that peace is being cut short by some calculated efforts by brigands and all sort of negative powers. So that’s why we have to bring all that to a stop".
Adejuwon said the awareness is for governors to
know that for another time, they have proved to
be real Omoluabis.
“The essence of Omoluabi is to respond to the
need of your people and that is what they have
just done.
“They know that we are with them and we are
coming here today (Tuesday) to tell them that
anybody that is not with them are on their own.
The Speaker, State of Osun House of Assembly,
RT. Hon Timothy Owoeye on Monday said that
Amotekun Corps will assist the police and other
security agencies to carry out lawful activities
that will maintain law and order in the state.
The Speaker at a public hearing session on Osun
Security Network Agency (Amotekun) bill stated
that when the bill is passed, it will ensure safe
highways, remote areas, waterways, hinterlands
among others.
Owoeye held that recruitment of Amotekun
Corps will reduce the rate of unemployment in
the state of Osun and the South Western States.
He stressed that, for Amotekun to be successful,
the support of all will be needed saying section
24 of the constitution provides that “it shall be
the duty of every citizen to make positive and
useful contribution to the advancement, progress and well-being of the community where he resides”.
The Governor of Osun, Ogbeni Gboyega Oyetola
who was represented by the Deputy Governor
Mr. Gboyega Alabi noted that peace and security
is the principal factor for business and
investment.
He said, “If Amotekun works, investment
windows will be open. Amotekun will give wings
to the Osun Economic and Investment Summit as well as the Osun Investment Promotion Agency which are our windows to economic and
industrial transformation.
“No State or nation can be stronger than the
quality of its laws. Amotekun is as strong as we
elect to make it, especially at this public hearing,
whose outcomes shall polish and enrich its legal
outlook and determine the quality of the peace
and prosperity we enjoy”. The Governor
emphasised.
While presenting the memorandum by the Aare
Ona Kakanfo of Yoruba Land, Iba Gani Abiodun
Ige Adams at the public hearing season, on the
bill to establish a law for the Osun State Security
Network otherwise known as Amotekun.
The Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yoruba land, Iba Gani
Abiodun Ige Adams, said his immense
appreciation and recognition of the efforts of the
Six Governors of the South West Zone in
providing for the people indigenes and non
indigenes alike of the South West Zone the
Amotekun Security Network.
He also appreciated the DAWN commission
which he described as another vehicle for
providing economic development and growth to
the people of The South West Zone.
The Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yoruba land who was
represented by Prince Aladesawe Adedeji, Osun
State Coordinator of Oodua People’s Congress,
(OPC) said, Amotekun initiative is the next
natural step in the dynamic, laudable and
progressive delivery of good governance as the
security of the people and the economy of the
zone go together in unison and congruity saying
we cannot separate our economy from our
security.
According to Iba Gani Adams, “For the sake of
establishing the facts so that our Houses of
Assemblies in the South West zone can find such fact useful the following represent the important references to past interventions by the Aare in the areas of insecurity that have confronted us in the past and in the recent time;
1: The Inspector General of Police has
acknowledged the collaboration of the police
with The Oodua People’s Congress (OPC) which is one of the groups that belong to the office of The Aare Ona Kakanfo in solving high crimes of
Badoo in Ikorodu, high crimes of robbery and
kidnapping at Abule Ado,Soba Community,
Festac Extension, in which no less than a
thousand criminals were apprehended through
the help and support of Aare Ona Kakanfo.
(2) The Agency, may subject to the approval of
the board engage such other staff as may be
necessary for proper execution of its functions
under this Law and pay such persons so
employed such remuneration and allowances as
may be determined by the Board, subject to the
extant policies of the Government.
(3) There shall be Deputy Corps Commanders in
charge of Monitoring and Operations in each
zones of the three Senatorial districts of Osun
State.
They shall be responsible for the coordination of
the activities of the zones of the corps Command under the general command of the Corps Commander and such other Commanders as may be created by Regulations.
We can as well use the structure of Osun division headed by deputy Corp Commandant,
Ife Division
Ikire Division
Ilesha Division
Iwo Division
Osogbo Division
Ikirun Division.
The security guru added further, “With our
observations stated above on the draft bill, the
next natural step is to provide for
recommendations that are also pertinent to the
final drafting of the bill.
1: We recommend that the issuance of arms
should be seen to be pivotal to the success of the Amotekun venture.
There will be no respect by hoodlums, criminals,
herdsmen, cult members if the Amotekun
operatives are not fully licensed to carry more
than light arms. There should be the provision
for assault weapon.
2: We cannot and must not reduce the Amotekun Operatives to intelligence gathering alone as this will endanger the lives and wellbeing of the Amotekun operatives.
They will be easy target as the criminals in
question if they believed system is that the
operatives are for intelligence gathering will be
buoyed into a position of superiority thereby
hindering the very process of apprehending
them.
There must therefore be a balance of power.
3: We also noted that in the board to be
constituted, there is an omission of a
representative from the office of The Aare
Onakakanfo to be included as part of the duly
constituted security Network to which the Aare is a stake holder in all the six State of the
SouthWest zone.
This is a great omission as we shall explain.
(a) The Aare Onakakanfo as the generalissimo of the Yoruba in all the Six state of the south west zone and by His office and with His association with the traditional institutions comprising Obas and Chiefs, The Aare is the closest to the grassroots.
We make bold as to say that daily, The
Aareonakakanfo receives hundreds of reports of
various forms of insecurity from Theft to Robbery to Terrorism to cultism, kidnapping throughout the six states of the south west zones from the people through their Obas and Chiefs, through the OPC and other groups including social political groups such as Afenifere, Yoruba Council of Elders, Yoruba Youth Forum, Voice of Reason and other groups and the people may also recall the case of the herdsmen killings that happened at Ife-Wara.
It was The OPC under the Aareonakakanfo that
effectively arrested the situation and also got the culprits arrested.
It will therefore be a great omission if the
Aareonakakanfo is not ably represented in all the
boards of Amotekun network in each of the Six
States of the South West zones” he concluded.
COMMENTS