Obasanjo Breaks Silence On Insecurity, Amotekun

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has condemned the security situation in the country, stressing that the responsibility of a leader is to secure the life of members of his community.

Obasanjo stated this while speaking on Saturday at the 1st Memorial Lecture for the late founder of the Oodua People’s Congress (OPC), Frederick Fasehun.

According to the former leader, security and political structure were of great concern to the late OPC leader.

Obasanjo recalled that President Muhammadu Buhari confessed that he was shocked to come to know that things are that bad.

He noted that Governors in different States of the country as the Chief Security Officers were taking measures to enhance and buoy up security for their citizens.

Obasanjo said: “What these Governors have shown was that they were concerned and they cared. I would not know if any of them was shocked but most of them took steps as they deemed fit to enhance the security of life and property for their citizens and to augment the failing and inadequate security provided at the national level.

“Whatever we may feel individually or collectively by these different measures, these Governors must be commended and where necessary, they should be helped to refine and make robust and efficient the effective measures they have taken, from Katsina to Zamfara, from Adamawa to Benue and from South East to South West. From my personal observation, as I talked to people and people across the board talked to me, nothing has united the people of South West like Amotekun since independence except independence itself. Not even the civil war was such a unifier.

“I commend the Governors of South West for their bold and courageous measure taken beyond political party affiliation to improve security architecture and care for their citizens. I particularly commend Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State for his leadership on this matter and for sharing their thoughts with me. Security measures are never static and security is the responsibility of all of us but by appointment and elections, some have more responsibility than others.”

Obasanjo advised that Amotekun and other measures put in place should continue to be refined and improved upon to serve as adequate complement and enhancer of the present, disappointing and inadequate, national security architecture and provision.

He added, “We must learn from the past, particularly from Native Authority Police. Professionalism and adequate equipment for the job are imperative for a serious security apparatus. Security is the foundation of all human development and progress. Common assured security should lead to common and shared prosperity and development.

“There has been embarrassing paralysis and katakata in the present nation’s security house as if we have nobody in charge. If it had happened before, it was not so brazenly in the public domain. This type of situation cannot do credit to us as Nigerians and it can only sap confidence in the security architecture for people to say, ‘no wonder’. The President must accept the challenge and the responsibility.”