Governors of the South-West region have condemned Tuesday’s defying of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s order by a detachment of laying siege to the Magodo Estate Phase II, describing the development as an unacceptable intrusion.
A chief superintendent of police (CSP) who led the police team had rebuffed the order of Sanwo-Olu to vacate the estate gates, claiming they were in the area on the directive of Usman Baba Alkali, the inspector-general of police (IGP), through Abubakar Malami, the attorney-general of the Federation (AGF).
Chairman of the South-West Governor’s Forum and Ondo State governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, in a statement he personally signed, said this development was unacceptable to the governors.
“We are in possession of a video which has gone viral on the social media concerning the disgraceful exchange between a police officer, a CSP, and the governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the supposed chief security officer of the state, at the Magodo Residential Estate.
“The content of the video is very disconcerting, and this is being charitable. The utter disrespect, which underlines the response of the officer to the governor, establishes, beyond doubt, the impracticability of the current system, dubiously christened “federalism”.
“An arrangement, which compels the governor of a state to seek clarifications on security issues in his jurisdiction from totally extraneous bodies or persons, is a sure recipe for anarchy.
“We condemn, very strongly, this brazen assault on decency. We call on the IG to explain the justification for this intrusion.
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“This is not acceptable. Any expectations of rapprochement between so-called federating units and federal security agencies are becoming forlorn, progressively, due to deliberate acts which mock our very avowal to ethics and professionalism.
“We condemn, in very clear terms, the role of the attorney-general of the federation, Mr Abubakar Malami SAN in this act of gross moral turpitude.
“We, on our part, will continue to interrogate the current system, which treats elected representatives of the people as mere prefects, while appointed office holders ride roughshod over them as Lords of the Manor.
“If the purported chief security officers of the states of the federation require clearance from the office of the IG on matters within their areas of jurisdictions, only hypocrites will wonder why the current security crisis deepens and there appears to be no solution in the foreseeable future.
“We condemn very strongly, this brazen assault on decency. We call on the IG to explain the justification for this intrusion.
“This is not acceptable. Any expectations of rapprochement between so-called federating units and federal security agencies are becoming forlorn, progressively, due to deliberate acts which mock our very avowal to ethics and professionalism.
“We stand by our brother, the governor of Lagos State. We advise him to deploy the regional security outfit in the state to protect the lives and property of the people.
“We call on the President and Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces to rein in the excesses of certain elements bent on acting in a manner capable of eroding the bond of trust existing between the people and the Federal Government.
“It is preposterous for political appointees to seek to undermine the very structure of service upon which their appointments rest,” Akeredolu said.
