Clement Adeyi, Osogbo
Osun State governor, Adegboyega Oyetola, has described the raging debate over the launch of the South West Security Network otherwise known as Amotekun as a healthy and welcome development.
He, however, noted that politicising it on the altar of religion and ethnicity would be unhealthy, dangerous and counterproductive.
The governor stated this in a press statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Ismail Omipidan.
“Amotekun is a collective response by the South West region to the spate of armed banditry, rape, kidnapping and other violent crimes that suddenly became a past time in the South West,” he noted.
“To, therefore, claim that it is an agenda against a particular faith or adherent of a particular religion is not only preposterous, but also in bad taste,” he stressed.
“Kidnapping, rape and armed banditry have no religion and know no tribe or ethnicity,” the governor added.
Oyetola disclosed that no recruitment had been carried out for the security programme in the state.
He, however, expressed the need to rally support for the security initiative, with cogent strategies and bridge a communication gap between the Federal Government and the South West governors who are in the vanguard of the programme.
“For the records, no recruitment has been carried out so far, especially in our dear State of Osun. So, rather than constitute ourselves into opposing a project we all clamoured for in response to existential threats for which some of the governors in the region have been called out and vilified in the past, we should rally support for Amotekun by coming up with strategies to fine-tune it with a view to bridging any communication gap between the Federal Government and the South West governors over it.
“Section 14 (2) (b) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) is clear that the security of life and property of citizens as well as their welfare is the primary purpose and responsibility of government, be it state or federal,” the governor said.
He assured of the state’s commitment to protecting its citizens, noting: “Every reasonable and responsible Osun indigene must join our collective resolve as a government to protect our citizens and their property.”