#ENDSARS: Hakeem Alao commends FG, frowns at SWAT, as AD chieftain berates Makinde over N100m to Soun of Ogbomoso

*Condoles with Oyo Governir on mother’s demise

*Says FG deserves accolades for credible Edo, Ondo elections

By Lai Mahmood

He said, “It is crystal clear from the protests across the country that Nigerians are getting to the climax of their endurance,” adding that it was disheartening and dangerous that the protests did not have a clear leadership till the moment.

Engr Oyedele Hakeem Alao, the gubernatorial candidate of Alliance for Democracy (AD) in the 2019 elections in Oyo State, has declared that the actions of both President Muhammadu Buhari and Governor Seyi Makinde on the creation of SWAT and N100m gift to Soun of Ogbomoso, respectively were incongruous, while condoling with Engr Seyi Makinde over the loss of his mother on October 15.

He condemned the N100m gift to the Soun by saying a good public finance manager should not just deep his hands into the public coffers and spend recklessly.

Engr Alao made this known in a release made available to the press in Ibadan by his Spokesman, Omotayo Iyanda.

Although the AD gubernatorial candidate commended both President Buhari on the immediate disbandment of SARS and Governor Makinde for his prompt visit to Ogbomoso on his return from the Ondo governorship election, he ventilated, in strongly, his disagreement with the immediate replacement of SARS with SWAT and the N100m gift to the Soun of Ogbomoso, Oba Oyewum I Ajagungbade over the vandalisation of his palace by irate youths.

He added that Federal Government deserved some accolades over the last two governorship elections of Edo and Ondo states.

In his words, “Without mincing words, the instruction given by the President to IGP as a response to the desire of Nigerians on the excesses of SARS to scrap the police special unit and submit the names of members of the outfit with bad records to the presidency are commendable.

“Also praiseworthy are the outcomes of the last two governorship elections in the country, Edo and Ondo State. Mentioning of Jimoh Isiaka, who was killed during the #EndSARS protest in Ogbomomo, by PMB is equally appreciated.”

Alao said it was not enough “to just scrap SARS and come up with another police formation in the name of SWAT just three days after the disbandment of the dreaded SARS”, as the IGP Mohammed Adamu had stated that members of the dreaded disbanded SARS would be re-integrated into SWAT.

He, however, rhetorically asked, “Do we need a new police formation right now? What have we done with other formations not scrapped? Is scrapping the real action needed to get a responsible corrupt-free policing in Nigeria? What about the huge cost of setting up a new police formation? Will the new set-up be able to face the challenges of the insecurity in the country? How will the IGP monitor the new formation to ensure it does not revert to SARS antics? Are there going to be regular courses for the members of the SWAT team on human behavior and civility?”

The civil and petroleum engineer said that the IGP should know that corruption in Nigerian policing system in was so endemic that the junior officers would give illegal returns and kickbacks to their superiors and that was why the issue appeared intractable.

He emphasized that what the nation needed now was not just scrapping and coming up with a new formation just in name, saying that “the police force in Nigeria needs a holistic reform – reforms having to do with civil conduct, set of behaviours, contentment, good funding of policing, demolition and reconstruction of the existing police accommodation, provision of social insurance scheme, establishment of a special supermarket in the various police formations with reduced prices of commodities, engagement of supermarkets and stores across the country to sell to police at discounted rates (as applicable in US and Europe) and getting rid of the bad eggs in the system in all the rank and file of the police, thorough investigation of officers who abused their positions and bringing them to book, etc.”

Speaking further, he said that it was very obvious that the ongoing mass protest significantly by the Nigerian youths across the country was not only about “End SARS” but was an expression of the “peoples’ anger against bad governance, widespread corruption, unemployment, nepotism, cronyism, increasing cost of living, insecurity, poor infrastructure and lack of basic human necessity of food, housing and decent allowance.”

He said, “It is crystal clear from the protests across the country that Nigerians are getting to the climax of their endurance,” adding that it was disheartening and dangerous that the protests did not have a clear leadership till the moment.

He expressed fear that the trend was worrisome as it was almost identical to the Arab upspring of 2011 in the Middle East.

He, however, called on President Muhammadu Buhari, all members of the political class, the royal fathers, the religious leaders and the civil society groups to rise up to save Nigeria “from the stroke of fire that could engulf it so soon.”

Engr Hakeem Alao said, “Parts of what President Muhammadu Buhari (PMB) can give Nigerians as a great legacy as he leaves the presidency in 2023 are to bequeath us strong institutions as incorruptible police and an electoral system that will allow power to reside with the people genuinely.

“So, it will not be a bad idea if PMB can sign into law the pending amended electoral act that will allow electronic voting in the country which has been awaiting his assent, adding that action of SWAT should be halted to see “how the police formations can be reformed so we will not have criminals and thugs in the police uniform again in the country.

While establishing that the Soun of Ogbomoso, Oba Oyewumi Ajagungbade, had little or no power to mitigate the charged situation over the End SARS protest in Ogbomoso, Engr Hakeem Alao said, “It is commendable that our governor, Engr Seyi Makinde promptly visited Ogbomoso land but it is appalling that Governor Makinde could be so reckless again to publicly announce N100m for the rehabilitation of the damaged portions of the palace.

“Oyo State government is not buoyant to the point of doling out almost 2% of monthly allocation. Interestingly, N1m was announced to be donated to the families of those that lost their lives.

“We are not saying our governor should not support our royal father’s palace or the other people. What we are saying is that there are better other ways to come to the aid of the people in distress,” maintaining that the governor could appeal to the indigenes of Ogbomoso and other Oyo State residents to come together to rescue the situation.

“As a good public finance manager, you do not just deep your hand into public coffers and spend recklessly,” Engr Hakeem Alao stated.

He submitted, “As we are locked up in this confused pent up situation in our country, it is sad we have just lost the mother of our governor, Mrs Abigail Makinde (nee Omoregbe).

“We, therefore, sympathize and condole with our governor, Engr Seyi Makinde, our royal father, Kabiyesi Ajagungbade, the Soun of Ogbomoso and commiserate with the entire people of Ogbomoso on the death of Isiaka Jimoh whom we lost during the #EndSARS protest which was quite unfortunate.

“We also sympathize and commiserate with the families of all those that lost their loved ones across the country,” praying that may God grant the parents of the deceased the fortitude to bear the losses.