South-West Governors Back Tinubu On Operation Amotekun

 

South-West governors on Wednesday supported the All Progressives Congress leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu’s  position on the Western Nigerian Security Network, Operation Amotekun.

 

According to a report by Punch, the governors commended the former Lagos State governor and promised to look into the  issues he raised.

 

Recall that Tinubu broke his silence after almost three weeks Amotekun was launched. 

 

In a statement, Tinubu took a neutral position on  Amotekun.

 

Tinubu blamed both the South-West governors and Malami  for the controversy the matter had generated.

 

The APC leader, who is rumoured to be nursing a presidential ambition, said the intentions of the governors were good but the manner with which Amotekun was being set up was wrong.

 

The former governor of Lagos State criticised Malami for issuing a statement condemning the initiative when he could have simply reached out to them and handled it internally and more amicably.

 

He added, “The governors stated that they consulted regularly with the police and security agencies. This was the right thing to do. However, their failure to include the office of the attorney general in these discussions is the fount of the current public uproar. This was an unfortunate omission the governors should regret and seek to remedy. However, the conceptual merits and positive functional aspects of Amotekun should not be tainted by this procedural defect.

 

 

The APC chieftain said Amotekun was a laudable initiative, but needed some operational and conceptual modifications or else it would fail.

 

Tinubu wrote, “As I understand it, Amotekun is to be another set of eyes and ears to assist the police. As such, it is but the second generation of Neighbourhood Watch expanded to a regional scale. Conceptually, there is nothing wrong with this. It does not appear to insult the constitution.

 

Tinubu said Amotekun should have been fashioned to the peculiarities of each state rather than having a regional structure.

 

He stated that the regional approach had only limited benefit with regard to the procurement and maintenance of vehicles and communications equipment because this wider approach allows for economies of scale.

 

Reacting to Tinubu’s statement, Akeredolu commended him.

 

The governor, who spoke through his Special Adviser on Security, Alhaji Jimoh Dojumo, said it was commendable for Tinubu to have broken silence on the issue.

 

He said,  “We have to commend our leader, Asiwaju Tinubu, for his comments. As a leader who loves his people, he has made objective observations in his statement.

 

Also, the Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, said he did not disagree with the submission made by  the ex-Lagos governor.

 

The Special Adviser to governor on media, Mr  Remmy Hassan, in an interview with one of our correspondents, said, “We in Ogun State  support every agenda that promotes peace, security and welfare of the South-West people, including Operation Amotekun.”

 

The Director General of Development Agenda for Western Nigeria, Seye Oyeleye, on his part, said mischief-makers who could not assist the South-West in the wake of security challenges ravaging it, were behind opposition to Amotekun.

 

He allayed fears that Amotekun would be against an ethnic group, saying it  would serve the interest of all ethnic groups resident in South-West. Oyeleye said this during  a programme aired by a private radio station, Rave FM in Osogbo.