Insecurity: An Appeal To Governor Seyi Makinde On Freedom For Local Governments || Sola Abegunde
Yesterday, I saw a news report which claimed that the hunters who have been guarding the possible escape routes for the kidnappers of the Oriire victims have been leaving their posts. The caption of the story is self explanatory. It reads: “Oriire abduction: ‘ Our wives, children hungry at home, we’ve left Old Oyo National Park’- Hunters.
When I saw the story, I became alarmed and I asked myself, if this is true, are we really committed to the rescue of this poor victims? I don’t want to be talking about the new video released by the one of the abductors yesterday.
For whatever it is worth, I do not want to join the league of those who will be inadvertently advancing the cause of criminality. However, that is not to say that I did not and still do not feel so strongly about the recklessness of some individuals who have been speaking out of turn on this matter.
The most important thing, for me, is the release of the abducted victims and a prevention of future occurrence. Talking of future occurrence, at this point, I think Governor Seyi Makinde really needs to search himself.
Regardless of whatever the Federal Government is doing or not doing, as the Governor of Oyo state, is Governor Seyi Makinde that handicap to do certain things?
The answer, to me, is No. There is a lot the Governor could do and which he has not been doing.
Today, I want to talk about solutions. have said it severally and I will repeat it for emphasis sake, Local Government Chairmen and the Governor of Oyo state have a lot to do when it comes to security challenges.
As at now, I expected Governor Seyi Makinde to have called the Local Government Chairmen around Oyo, Ogbomoso, Oke-Ogun and Ibarapa to a meeting. We need to beef up security around our border towns and settlements.
I expected that the Governor should have released special funds for the Local Government Chairmen in those areas and instructed them to engage local hunters, vigilantes and volunteers for intelligence gathering, monitoring and policing of our forests.
We need men on ground, mobility and communication gadgets for effective policing of our forests. I also expected Governor Seyi Makinde to have met with the National Security Adviser, Mr. Nuhu Ribadu to discuss the modalities for the procurement of better ammunition for the Amotekun Corps.
I have seen what is happening in Enugu state. How did the Governor go about procuring the effective weapons he procured for the Enugu state Security outfit? Where there is the will, there certainly must be a way.
I do not also think that the procurement of surveillance Drones should present any challenge for Governor Seyi Makinde.
We can’t just stay quiet and keep pretending as if we are doing something extraordinary. The steps I highlighted above can not and will not be done by the president. It is within the purview of the Governor. Governor Seyi Makinde had in the past admitted publicly that he could be very stubborn.
He doesn’t also appear to me like someone who cherish the counsel of others but this is not a matter to be stubborn about.I am baffled that up till now, the Governor has not deemed it fit to visit the president to ask for help.
There are certain things the president could not do except the Governor of the state asks for them. The other time, the Speaker of the House of Assembly was making reckless and inflammatory comments about an alleged list of demands by the terrorists.
His statements has elicited further controversies. If Governor Seyi Makinde doesn’t know, those comments from the Speaker of the House of Assembly portrayed his Government as lacking in coordination. It has raised serious questions about the seriousness and commitment of the Oyo state Government to the rescue of the abducted victims.
Firstly, did the Bandits actually communicated such demands to Government?
Secondly, if they actually did, are those information meant for public consumption?
Thirdly, Debo Ogundoyin, as the Speaker of the House of Assembly is in no way the right person to bring those issues into the public, even, if they are meant for public consumption, a notion I strongly disagree with.
Like I said, I am no longer interested in these avoidable controversies. I am only interested in the way forward. While we keep praying and urging for genuine actions towards the release of those in captivity, what are we doing to prevent future occurrence?
The infrastructures in our public primary and secondary schools are nothing to write home about.
Presently, all public primary and secondary schools in Oyo state have been closed down. The closure of schools is not a solution to the problems we have at hand. We can’t close the schools down permanently. Can we?
The Governor should feel extremely guilty for the fact that his government could not guarantee security in our public schools. Most especially, when his children and those of his aides do not attend those schools.
I urge Governor Seyi Makinde to immediately make funds available for the construction of perimeter fence around public primary and secondary schools, most especially, in remote areas.
The Governor should also ask Local Government Chairmen to collaborate with the Amotekun Corp for the policing of public primary and secondary schools.
I also think that the time is ripe for Governor Seyi Makinde to review the condition of service for the Amotekun Corps. Their monthly take home is nothing to write home about.
I wonder why it is so difficult to ask the local government Chairmen to absorb the Amotekun personnel on permanent appointments. It shouldn’t also be difficult to register them on appropriate insurance packages.
I am not comfortable at all at the silence of the Governor at this very crucial time. His declaration of powerlessness is not and should not be an excuse for inaction.
5This is never the time to be silent. It is time to show Leadership.
If he doesn’t believe in the existence of Local Governments up till now, this is the time to put such sentiments aside.
The Local Governments have crucial responsibilities to discharge and I plead with the Governor to allow them to discharge those responsibilities.