Amotekun not in competition with existing security outfits – Fayemi

Amotekun: As Yoruba leaders call for synergy among regional security outfits

.Let go of Amotekun, produce President in 2023, Miyetti-Allah tells S’West

Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, who also doubles as the Chairman, Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF), has said that it is wrong for anyone to see the South West security initiative, codenamed Amotekun, as a competitor to any existing conventional security outfit as it will not only complement them in the areas of neighbourhood watch but has the possibility of drastically reducing insecurity within the states if given priority to.

Collapsed businesses will bounce back with CIT review–expert

He stated this on Thurday while delivering a keynote address at the 17th Edition of the Daily Trust Dialogue held in Abuja.

Reacting to comments from various commentators nationwide on the illegality of Amotekun, Fayemi maintained that the vision is in no way in competition with the existing conventional security outfit rather than to help secure the local population from kidnappings and bandits in the South West who have recently become species for most attacks.

“While some commentators and stakeholders see problem and conflict in such a national discuss, I see opportunity and possibilities. As for many of us who have been involved in this process since its inception around June 2019, following the spate of kidnappings and banditry in the South West, we see the Amotekun vision as a logical end product of President Buhari’s compelling vision on community policing, and a bottom top approach to security sector governance across the length and breadth of our country.

“Far from being a competitor to the existing national security platform, all it does, is aim to complement them in the areas of neighbourhood watch, information and intelligence gathering, detection of early warning signs and engaging in early response in a proactive manner apart of acting as a liaison between the conventional security outfit and the local population,” he said.

Speaking further, he revealed that all the Security agencies actively partnered with the South West governors in the process of establishing Amotekun.

While expressing optimism that Amotekun vision will give the local population and grassroots government the ample opportunity to communicate about the security situation in their various location, he however, said the initiative is susceptible to public scrutiny for a better operation.

“During the process of bringing this about (Amotekun), the conventional security outfits were not only in the know, they are actively collaborated with the South West governors in this process.

“So, for those who are familiar with the rhetoric of security reform and transformation in democratising politics, you will readily appreciate the need for multi-faceted, multi legal and multi dynamic approach to national policing and maintenance of law and order.

“Indeed, apart from strengthening the administrative capacity of security institutions in our country and the training and retraining of our security agents, the core and vital component of this paradigm shift in national security architecture is the direct logical coherent and sequential involvement of the local population and grassroots governance in national security and crime prevention.

“It is in the recognition of the above that the Amotekun model emerged and with proponents already made available to the Police authority that it is a model open to public scrutiny, reform and fine-tuning and even re-conceptualization on the basis of new information or superior knowledge that might assist in the quality of its operation,” he said.

Also, prominent Yoruba leaders on Thursday called for synergy among regional security outfits in Nigeria to ensure better security and proper coordination in the country.

They made the call at the second installation anniversary of Iba Gani Adams as the Aare Onakakanfo of Yoruba land, held at Ikeja, Lagos.

Joel Okei-Odumakin, President, Women Arise for Change Initiative, said that there should be synergy amongst regional security outfits irrespective of the names they were called or wherever they were formed.

“Let them ensure that those who are at the helm of affairs in term of security continue to network.

“They should have enough synergy in the way it is reported and coordinated so that at the end, they would take the score card and know where to put more efforts.

“This will also ensure better guarantee of lives and property,” she said.

Odumakin also lauded the creation of ‘Amotekun’, the South-West regional security outfit, which she said was long overdue.

She said there was need for necessary support to ensure that Amotekun became a strong effective outfit complementing the security agencies in fighting crime and criminality in the region.

According to her, it will help to protect citizens more and complement community policing work of the Nigeria Police.

She said Amotekun was not created to compete with state police but to complement their roles in ensuring the security of lives and property.

She advised that Amotekun must not be used to heat up the polity in the country, saying that the country was already grappling with the pains of the colossal loss of lives and property in recent times.

“A life that is lost can never be brought back, which is why l support anything that can be done to protect lives.

“I do not want loss of lives again, it pains and breaks my heart each time a life is lost,” she said.

Also speaking, Yinka Odumakin, Spokesperson of Afenifere, said that the Yoruba nation had accepted the Southwest regional security outfit to enhance security in the region.

Odumakin noted that Yoruba land was under siege, as such the regional security outfit had been overwhelmly accepted by the Yoruba.

According to him, the only condition for abolishing of Amotekun was the proscription of all other regional security outfits in Benue, Kano, and Borno states, among others.

Meanwhile, the Miyetti Allah Kaute Hore has urged governors and political leaders in the South-West to give up the regional security outfit, “Amotekun” to increase their chances of producing the next president in 2023.

The group said this days after the Minister of Justice and Attoney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami (SAN) declared Amotekun as illegal.

National Secretary of the group, Alhassan Saleh, agreed with the position of the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, saying the security outfit is illegal and political.

Saleh said it is best for South-West, which is a major stakeholder in President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration to give up the idea because it may affect the region’s chances to produce a successor to the president in 2023.

“This Amotekun scheme is political and is not the solution to the problem of insecurity.

“What the South-West governors should have done is to continue to push for state police. Where did they expect to get the funding from at a time some of them are struggling to pay salaries?

“It is best they give up on this idea because it may affect the chances of the south-west to produce the president in 2023.

“The thinking is that if the South-West, a major stakeholder in this government, can be toying with this idea now, they may do worse when they get to power.”

He further said he was unhappy that the Attorney-General of the Federation waited for the planning to reach an advanced stage before speaking out against it.

“We are in agreement with the AGF that Amotekun is illegal. In fact, we are unhappy that it took the AGF this long to react,” he said.

Meanwhile, Ondo State Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu has vowed that the region would go ahead with ‘Operation Amotekun,’ despite the minister’s position on the security outfit.