By Lai Mahmood
The gubernatorial candidate of Alliance for Democracy (AD) in the last general elections in Oyo State, Engr Oyedele Hkeem Alao, has congratulated the governor of Oyo State, Engr Seyi Makinde and the entire people of the state on the successful inauguration of Western Nigeria Security Network (WNSN) corps (Amotekun) as he warns them against victimizing and terrorizing the people.
The AD governorship candidate, in a statement by his media spokesman, Omotayo Iyanda, stated that the official inauguration and commissioning of the corps at the end of their recruitment and training was timely and coming at a time when the morale of the federal police had been down as a result of the ugly, sad and pitiful experience they had during the #EndSARS protests.
Engr Hakeem Alao said the Amotekun Corps would have a great work to do now so as to “stand in” for the police till they fully come back to work, adding that they had a great ground to cover now in securing the state.
He, however, charged the management, the commanders and the corps members to be diligently and patriotically responsible in the discharge of their duties, advising them not to use their positions and the security outfit to victimize or terrorise the people they were to protect and secure as echoed by Governor Makinde during the commissioning.
The AD Oyo 2019 governorship candidate warned the corps that would be on the streets of all the 33 local governments as promised by Governor Makinde to take a lesson from the experience of the Nigerian police in the just ended #EndSARS protest, adding that the experience was a testimony that patience of every man had expiration.
He, thereafter, asked them not to be carried away and begin to behave on duty as if they were bigger than the Pope, admonishing them to steer clear of all activities that could tarnish the image of the Makinde administration.
Meanwhile, Engr Hakeem Alao wondered how 1,500 corps would be able to secure the entire state effectively.
He said going by 1,500 total number of corps members, it meant less than 50 officers would be in each local government, adding that if 50 would be in each local government, then less than 10 cops would be in each ward with more than an average of 1,500 houses and 5,000 residents.
“How will 50 cops adequately protect and secure each local government ,” Engr Hakeem Alao asked, advising the state government to see to how to enlist more able men and women into the security formation and think out the ways to fund them adequately without unnecessary burden on the people of the state.
“Although we believe that the other traditional security organizations like Agbekoya have been enlisted in Amotekun, the remaining members of the local hunters may be engaged as an organisation with understanding of background support without necessarily putting them on a permanent payroll.
“Also, neighbourhood watch can be established in our various communities to augment and reinforce the efforts of Amotekun, more so that people have lost confidence in the Nigerian police,” Hakeem Alao advised.
