By Lai Mahmood
The gubernatorial candidate of Alliance for Democracy (AD) in the last governorship election in Oyo State, Mr. Oyedele Hakeem Alao (OHA), has hailed the South West governors on the creation of Western Nigerian Security Network, Amotekun.
He made the commendation as he commiserated with the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi, and the entire people of Oyo town, over the unfortunate fire disaster that razed down the ancient Akesan market.
While declaring support for the initiative of the governors, in a statement made available to newsmen in Ibadan, Alao also admonished the governors that it would be a good idea if the governors could intensify efforts on socio-economic and industrial evolution of the region, adding that a huge funds which had so far allocated and expended on security had not yielded any significant result.
In his words, “The present governors in the south west would do well in securing our people if they could go to the drawing board to come up with short and long term plans that would secure the geopolitical zone socio-economically through aggressive food production and sufficiency, techno-scientific and industrial revolution to open up our local talents and industries.
“From the last administrations in Oyo State to the present one, a huge amount of funds, apart from the security votes, have been genuinely or otherwise expended on the issue of security, which has not yielded any significant result.
“The successive governments in the state have come with different security arrangements with code-names, most recent of them is Operation Burst by the administration of Senator Isiak Abiola Ajimobi and the latest is Amotekun, although a joint venture of governors in the south west, to which each state has made some financial commitment.”
He spoke further that billions of naira had been expended on security by the past and present administrations in the state, and therefore wondered why the first fleet of 100 of Kia Rio cars were purchased, in the first instance, and at a very close interval, when there was a plan to launch an independent regional security formation which has also been equipped with 33 Hilux vans, adding that it was not even clear whether the purchase of all the fleets were captured in any budget.
Alao stated that all these funds could as well be channeled into serious developmental activities that would make life more affordable for the people in a way that would check the possibility of crime.
He said, “Apart from the fact that the Kia Rio cars were imported from South Korea with heavy duties paid on them, and maybe the same goes with the vans for Amotekun, why not think of ploughing back such resources into our local economy by patronizing local industries as Innoson Motors, and starting enduring agricultural and industrial revolution in the South West to begin a honest journey into the future for a genuine enduring emancipation?”
The AD governorship candidate said, “Perhaps the formation of Amotekun would have been taken through the enactment of the state and national assembly, maintaining that a collective fight for true federalism would have been intensified to decentralize the security system of the country, particularly policing, so as not to run against the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
He concluded that the handlers of Operation Amotekun must ensure that issues such as appointment, recruitment, training, use and potential proliferation of firearms, remuneration, administration and line of reporting, clear-cut duties, limitations, allocation of resources and tools, possible hijack and abuse of the outfit and its use as a tool of oppression and intimidation, particularly during elections and among those in the corridor of power, did not cause us more division in the region.
Alao said, “as a comrade and activist, I will never support relegation or oppression against the Yoruba race in any disguise, neither the disintegration of Nigeria and will always be in support of the good causes of the masses.”
As Alao commiserates with the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi and the entire people of the ancient town over the burning down of the popular Akesan Market on Friday, 3 January, 2020, he has also cautioned the Oyo State governor over “free political statements”.
While commending the governor over his decision to rebuild Akesan market, Alao said he was of the “opinion that before making a public statement regarding such a public affair, it would be a clear headed approach to determine how much it would cost to bring it back to modern standard and followed by a move to accommodate it in the budget.
He commiserated with those who recorded a huge loss in the inferno and prayed that God would resettle them back into life in manifolds, as he appreciated all who had offered to help to bring the affected people back to life, urging the entire citizenry to always cooperate with fire officers whenever they sought their assistance.
