From Ogun, Oyo, Osun, Ondo, Ekiti to Lagos state, there has been rising hue and outcry over the move by the Federal Government to outlaw the much-talked-about Western Nigeria Security Network (WNSN) which is codenamed ‘Operation Amotekun’.
Operation Amotekun, a regional security outfit established by six Southwest states of Ogun, Osun, Oyo, Ondo, Ekiti and Lagos to involve in the complementary operations with already established security agencies such as the Nigeria Police Force, Nigerian Security Civil Defence Corps, among others with a view to fighting insecurity in the six Southwest states.
But, the recent pronouncement credited to Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami which defined Amotekun as being established illegally created, has attracted condemnation from the people and residents of the Southwest as different fora and discourses were held on various media platforms to show the disgust and surprise for which the people in the region received the news.
Recall that socio-cultural groups such as Afenifere, Yoruba Council of Elders, Oodua People’s Congress as well as prominent lawyers, human rights activists, academics and others, have been criticising negative body language and pronouncement of the Federal Government which outlaws the Western Nigeria Security Network.
Meanwhile, as part of effort to change the approach by which Operation Amotekun was established the five governors of the region who are within All Progressives Congress (APC) were reliably gathered to have been resolved to queue behind the People’s Democratic Party Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo state to champion the face and struggle towards the legalization and actualization of Western Nigeria Security Network.
Hence, Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo state has begun consultation in conjunction with the other five governors of the Southwest states, namely, Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun state; Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos state; Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti state; Governor Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo state and Governor Gboyega Oyetola of Osun state, which is expected to aid the smooth take-off of the security scheme.
Speaking on the proposed change of approach as being championed by the Oyo state governor towards the actualization of Operation Amotekun, an impeccable source from the Southwest, disclosed to BusinessDay that high-level consultation is ongoing underground to involve all living Yoruba elders and statesmen to provide better way and workable solutions in order to outsmart President Muhammadu Buhari -Federal Government on the actualization of the Security Operation.
The source, who spoke to BusinessDay on the condition of anonymity, recalled that a two-hour closed meeting held by Governor Seyi Makinde with the former President, Olusegun Obasanjo in Abeokuta on Wednesday was based on guideline – way and manner to go about the Operation.
He added that “the Yoruba and even some other tribes in the South who subscribe to regional security outfit such as Operation Amotekun in the face of rising insecurity in the country, are seriously working behind the scene to ensure that the Southwest Regional Operation Amotekun stay.”
He said, “Our governors have discovered that Federal Government doesn’t want the Western Nigeria Security Network at all despite the fact that five governors from our region were elected on the platform of the ruling party – the APC, therefore, they (Southwest governors) have resolved to allow Governor Makinde, who is of People’s Democratic Party’s extraction to champion the whole thing.
“It seems President Muhammadu Buhari and his cabal at the Aso Rock are being too powerful and what they think about is to have successors and if they perceive anything that works against their ambition, they want quickly crush it ahead of 2023 general elections, therefore, this is trying situation that are surely testing the resolve and might of our governors in Southwest.
“So, if we are cowed, we are doomed. Hence, the guardiance of Baba Obasanjo, Chief Olu Falae, a couple of retired Generals in the region who have worked at that level before are strongly needed, as well as law and security experts that will be strongly involved in the actualization of Amotekun. We must not allow the Federal Government to cow us, we are warriors in the Southwest and it is time to display that.”
RAZAQ AYINLA
