CHAIRMAN of the South West Governors Forum, Governor Rotimi Akeredolu, weekend, said that the success of the security outfit, codenamed, Amotekun, in the region, shows that Nigeria’s security architecture must be decentralised.
Governor Akeredolu noted that the country’s security architecture decentralization “is for effective security of lives and properties in Nigeria.”
The governor said this while receiving participants of the Senior Course 45 programme of the Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Jaji, Kaduna State, on a study tour of the state.
The 46-man team was led by the Faculty Leader, Commodore Promise Dappa.
While reiterating the need for state police, the governor said: “The stand of his administration is that a police command in Abuja cannot serve the nation of 300 million people.
“Despite our meagre resources, our administration has recorded remarkable successes in securing the lives and property of the people of the state as well as in the area of employment generation.
“The state-owned security agency, the Amotekun Corps, has also been doing wonderfully well.
“The success of Amotekun Corps in Ondo State in particular and South West of Nigeria, in general, underscores the fact that the security architecture of the country must be decentralized for effective security of lives and properties in Nigeria.”
Earlier, the Faculty Team Leader, Commodore Promise Dappa, explained that the purpose of the study tour was for the participants to visit selected states every year to study the prevalent socio-cultural, socio-economic and security challenges in those states.
Ekiti monarch laments poor security in border towns
Meanwhile, the Ologotun of Ogotun-Ekiti, Oba Adebayo Adesanmi, weekend lamented that most of the Ekiti communities sharing borders with neighbouring states are being bedevilled with recurrent cases of kidnapping and killings, while also groaning under the burden of bad roads and lack of other public utilities.
Oba Adesanmi noted that the problem could only be tackled if Governor Biodun Oyebanji of Ekiti State takes proactive measures to secure and develop the border towns across the state for safety and economic prosperity.
The monarch, who spoke in Ogotun Ekiti during his coronation ceremony, said: “I now call on Governor Oyebanji to beam the searchlight of security and development on my community. We share boundaries with Owena and Ikeji-Ile in Osun State. Unfortunately, the roads linking us with these communities are in terrible conditions. The road linking us to Ipole Iloro is impassable as we speak, likewise the one to Ikogosi.
“The road linking us to Ikeji Ile was last rehabilitated during the PTF days. It is in a bad shape now. The one to Owena is begging for attention. We have large expanse of lands and farm settlements along the corridor, but deplorable roads will not allow us to harness the resources.”
