• Thursday, March 28, 2024
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BusinessDay

How to resolve FG, Southwest’s logjam on Amotekun- Tinubu

Bola Tinubu
After newly two weeks of silence on the formation of Southwest security outfit codenamed “Amotekun”, declared illegal by the Federal Government, Bola Tinubu,  national of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), has asked governors of the Southwest states to seek private discussion with FG to resolve the logjam.
Tinubu, in a long statement titled “The Public Discourse Over Amotekun” which he personally signed, on Wednesday, also declared that Nigeria’s fabric is not at risk because of the formation of the Yoruba security outfit.
Tinubu called for private discussion between the governors of the South-west and Abubakar Malami, minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the federation,  who earlier said that his office was not consulted before the launch of Amotekun on January 9, 2020.
According to Tinubu, the foundation of the country had not been put at risk with the South-west regional security outfit launched by the governors of the zone in a bit to confront the insecurity in their states.
The former Lagos governor, however, warned that, that fabric could be torn by what he called the “dangerous rhetoric of those who should know better.”
“Those claiming that this limited, inoffensive addition to security threatens the Republic have taken themselves upon a madcap excursion.
“Those claiming that the Federal Government seeks to terribly suppress the Southwest have also lost their compass. Those who occupy these two extremes have sunken into the dark recesses of fear and political paranoia that can undo a nation if such sentiments are allowed to gestate,” he said.
He added that “This issue has dominated recent discourse and media headlines. Distilled to its basics, it concerns how best state governments can assist with the safety and security of their residents. This is a matter of serious concern entitled to sober thought.
 However, it has been turned into a political tug-of-war. Fierce, often unthinking rhetoric, for and against, has crossed the lips of too many Nigerians. More subjective talking than objective thinking has been the fuel of this outburst.
“Question those in favour of Amotekun. Most have but the vaguest notion about it. They know few details yet vigorously attribute to its opponents the most negative intentions. Ask those who oppose Amotekun. They are equally ignorant of its provisions. They oppose the initiative not on its merits but merely because it was proposed by their political opponents or because they don’t see an avenue for personal gain from it.
“While colourful, the rhetoric has been disconcerting. How people have mishandled this matter demonstrates that we still have far to go in perfecting this democracy.
Too much energy has been spent distorting this issue instead of seeking a resolution that supports local enhancement of security while keeping the constitution intact. If this becomes the standard for how we handle disagreements then we will obscure Nigeria’s path forward with our own rubbish,” Tinubu said.

 

Joshua Bassey