Nigeria’s fabric not at risk with ‘Amotekun’-Tinubu

Calls for dialogue over new S’West security outfit

.Amotekun, a no confidence vote on Buhari/APC – PDP

National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, has assured that the creation of the Western Nigeria Security network code-named, Amotekun, by the governors of the South-West states does not pose any threat or risk to the foundation of the country.

However, the former Lagos State governor, warned that the fabric could be torn by what he called the “dangerous rhetoric of those who should know better.”

Tinubu has therefore called for a private discussion between governors of the South-West states and the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Mallam Abubakar Malami, SAN, who had earlier described the Amotekun Security outfit as illegal.

Amotekun Security network was recently launched by governors of the zone in a bid to confront the insecurity in the South-west region of the country.

In his first intervention in the controversy surrounding the Amotekun, Asiwaju Tinubu said: “Those claiming that this limited, inoffensive addition to security threatens the Republic have taken themselves upon a madcap excursion.

“Those claiming that the Federal Government seeks to terribly suppress the South West have also lost their compass. Those who occupy these two extremes have sunken into the dark recesses of fear and political paranoia that can undo a nation if such sentiments are allowed to gestate.”

In the statement which he personnaly signed titled ‘The Public Discourse over Amotekun,’ Tinubu said: “This issue has dominated recent discourse and media headlines. Distilled to its basics, it concerns how best state governments can assist with the safety and security of their residents. This is a matter of serious concern entitled to sober thought. However, it has been turned into a political tug-of-war. Fierce, often unthinking rhetoric, for and against, has crossed the lips of too many Nigerians. More subjective talking than objective thinking has been the fuel of this outburst.

“Question those in favour of Amotekun. Most have but the vaguest notion about it. They know few details yet vigorously attribute to its opponents the most negative intentions. Ask those who oppose Amotekun. They are equally ignorant of its provisions. They oppose the initiative not on its merits but merely because it was proposed by their political opponents or because they don’t see an avenue for personal gain from it.

“While colourful, the rhetoric has been disconcerting. How people have mishandled this matter demonstrates that we still have far to go in perfecting this democracy. Too much energy has been spent distorting this issue instead of seeking a resolution that supports local enhancement of security while keeping the constitution intact. If this becomes the standard for how we handle disagreements then we will obscure Nigeria’s path forward with our own rubbish.

“In this matter, I do not see malign intent in the differences of opinion between the South West Governors as authors of Amotekun and the Attorney-General as the primary law enforcement officer of the Federal Government. Shorn of the overly dramatic language, what lies before us is but a step in the evolution of our federalism.

“This is an opportunity to more clearly define that federalism; but one cannot attain this better, more functional definition through overblown, emotional language. Objectivity and calmness are required. To a significant degree, the enduring quality of our republic will be established by the sagacity with which we handle disagreements regarding the division of power between federal and state governments. Such disagreements are inevitable. This is not the first. Nor will it be the last. We must devote our energies more toward solving problems rather than amplifying them.

“Seeking to fulfil their mandates by helping protect their people, the governors of the South West collectively established a program to buttress existing security mechanisms. Seeking to protect the constitution as best he could, the Attorney-General offered his opinion on what he believed the governors have sought to do. No one can blame either party for seeking to fulfil what they genuinely see as their public duty.

 “Until now, I have deliberately maintained a studied silence regarding Amotekun. Many have tried to goad my swift public reaction. Those who have taken this road did so not because they care about Amotekun or even the people it intends to help protect. They did so knowing this had become a delicate and emotional issue for many. These cynics did so with the adversarial hope that, in haste, I might misspeak or misstep in a manner they could twist to their political advantage.

“Such people are possessed of a mercenary aspect that permits them to sacrifice almost anything, even jeopardise the very foundations of our political unity, if they might exact personal gain from the upheaval. In that they know no nobler purpose than their own appetites, we should feel sorry for them. However, we must not allow our sympathies for their barren condition to persuade us that there is worth in their destructive misconduct. They must be left to the consequences of their own devices.

“If truly I am a political leader as I am often described, then I have not the luxury of hasty, ill-conceived utterances. There are those who will use inflamed words to spark the passions of others. This may bring transient applause. But when the cheers fade, we shall only have further descended because their words were never inclined toward resolution and long-term improvement but toward short-term popularity and perpetual confrontation.

“I believe in this nation and its benign prospects. I dearly love its people, all of them. Over the years of our existence, they have suffered much. Yet they still hold forth with heroic patience and an extraordinary optimism born of strong faith. To these people I owe my best. I shall not treat them cheaply or bandy their emotions like some errant football. The welfare of this good and decent people is my overriding concern.

“Equally, I do not cow to the demands of those who press for me to make a premature statement on an important issue. Again, that is a game devised by those who care more about political cleverness than the quality of governance. I chose to talk when my position has been made ripe by a collection of the facts and a reasonable assessment of those facts.

Breaking the issues involved in the Amotekun controversy into three parts, including Governors and Security, Consultative Process Breaks Down and Recommendations for Resolution, Tinubu said: “As the highest elected official in his state and thus the individual embodiment of the will of the people, a governor must view safety and security as a foremost priority, integral to his mandate. To turn a blind eye to these concerns would be a grave dereliction.

“That the South West Governors seek to work together to complement the extant security architecture is, in principle, a commendable undertaking. In embracing this concept, they have acted in consonance with spirit of their offices for the better interests of their people.

“As governor of Lagos State, I confronted a burgeoning criminal menace. I could not sit idly in the face of the violence and property destruction that struck genuine fear in the hearts of the people. The police tried as best they could; but their coverage was thin. They simply did not have the personnel or material wherewithal to be everywhere at once. We formed Neighbourhood Watch to help fill the gap.

“Our aim was not to replace existing structures, but to complement and augment them. The mission of Neighbourhood Watch was to monitor the wards and neighbourhoods of the state. The group would gather information and intelligence to pass to the police and security authorities. The Neighbourhood Watch also provided an early warning system to keep citizens from harm’s way. The idea worked. Crime and violence reduced significantly. Even the overreaching Obasanjo government did not contend against Neighbourhood Watch.

“Judging from the public statements of the governors, Amotekun is meant to be structured along similar lines.  As I understand it, Amotekun is to be another set of eyes and ears to assist the police. As such, it is but the second generation of Neighbourhood Watch expanded to a regional scale. Conceptually, there is nothing wrong with this. It does not appear to insult the constitution. However, my position regarding Amotekun is not blind or uncritical; there are several organisational and functional aspects of the proposal that could cause some problems if left unresolved,” he said.

Tinubu noted that though the intention of the governors of the South West is good, but that their failure to consult with the Attorney-General of the Federation was an error.

“The governors stated that they consulted regularly with the police and security agencies. This was the right thing to do. However, their failure to include the office of the Attorney-General in these discussions is the fount of the current public uproar. This was an unfortunate omission the governors should regret and seek to remedy. However, the conceptual merits and positive functional aspects of Amotekun should not be tainted by this procedural defect.

“While the Attorney-General is a conscientious public servant, he is also human. Not having been consulted, he was suddenly faced with an unexpected public announcement regarding a matter within his official ambit. He likely feared the failure to consult him meant that federal prerogatives were being encroached. To blame him for this conclusion would be to blame human nature itself. Though his negative reaction was understandable it was also unhelpful.

“The Attorney-General acted hastily in rendering a public statement that was more inaccurate than it should have been. Amotekun was never proposed as a “defence” agency; the Attorney-General erred in using this description. The use of uniforms and brightly coloured vehicles may not be the best ideas, but they do not render Amotekun a defence agency or paramilitary group any more than a designated school van carrying uniformed students constitutes a paramilitary deployment.

The former governor therefore proffered the solutions he believe will help resolve the differences between the states and the Attorney-General of the Federation “This matter cannot be resolved on the pages of newspapers or by attributing negative motives to either side. The best way to resolve this is still for the two sides to enter private discussions. Either the governors should seek an official but private meeting with the Attorney-General, or the Attorney-General can initiate the contact. Since Amotekun is their initiative, the governors bear the greater onus in seeking the meeting.

“The meeting will initiate further discussion on how to resolve what appears to be a misunderstanding caused by an unfortunate lack of communication. Remedy the gap in communication and the misunderstanding will begin to disappear.

“I again stress to well-intentioned Nigerians to shun those who employ heated language to inflame emotions. It does us no good to rush toward exaggerated statements that suggest calamity of the highest order. Don’t allow yourselves to be fodder for those who seek to divide us.

“We are one nation, 200 million strong with 36 states and a great complex of federal authority residing in dozens of federal ministries and agencies. If everyone is allowed their democratic expression, there are bound to be disagreements. This is inherent in the federal structure. Nations that have practiced federalism much longer than us still frequently debate over where the line between state and federal power is to be drawn. They have hundreds of court cases each year on this very issue. Yet they do not attack each other as we do.  We must all learn to be more restrained and judicious in our reactions when such disagreements arise.

“Before leaping from our seats to lift our voice to the high rafters in profound indignation, we first would be wise to properly discern the situation. We must ascertain whether it merely is a tempest in a teapot or whether our house and all its teapots are swirling in a real tempest. Despite the ominous headlines and heated talk, an objective analysis points more clearly to the former than the latter. The resolution of this matter is not beyond us if only we allow ourselves to be the democrats that our better conscience and the very documents of our national existence call us to be,” he said.

Meanwhile, the National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), following a wide consultation and after an extensive meeting on the security situation in the country, on Wednesday, said, that ‘Amotekun’ and such other security apparatus in various parts of the nation are direct vote of no confidence on the Buhari Presidency’s handling of security in the country.

The party stated that it is obvious that the Buhari-led APC administration cannot guarantee the security of lives and property in the country because of its failure to take decisive steps to stem the escalated wave of killings by insurgents; the refusal to rejig the security high command and a lack of commitment to track down and prosecute even confessed perpetrators of mindless killings.

The PDP noted that the failure of the Federal Government to prosecute the war against acts of terrorism beyond lip service and condolence statements is emboldening killings, which have now degenerated to execution of compatriots, the latest being the gruesome beheading of the Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), in Adamawa State, Rev. Lawan Andimi.

“The execution of Rev. Andimi is heartrending and like other killings, remains a sad commentary of the inability of a government to stand for its citizens at very crucial moments”, lamented the party in a statement by its spokesperson, Kola Ologbondiyan.

The PDP recalled that the Buhari-led Federal Government had failed to prosecute the masterminds of the mass killings in Benue, Nasarawa, Bauchi, Taraba, Kogi, Adamawa, Borno, Yobe, Zamfara, Kaduna, Ekiti and other parts of the country under the current administration.

“Moreover, the body language, brazen acts of nepotism as well as divisive and incendiary comments by officials in the Buhari administration have continued to fuel disunity, acts of violence and insecurity in various parts of our nation.

“Given the failure of the Buhari administration to guarantee the essential of government which is the security of lives and property, Nigerians across board, as homes, communities, groups, towns, even states and regions are now organizing their respective security apparatuses such as Amotekun in the South West and several others in various parts of the country to guarantee their safety.

“The situation would not have degenerated to this level if the Buhari Presidency is living up to its billing on security, including listening to wise counsel by well-meaning Nigerians to rejig his security high command.

“The PDP holds that it is clear that the security of lives and property in our nation has gone beyond what the insensitive, divisive and incompetent Buhari administration can guarantee.

“Indeed, our nation has come to a stage where any genuine assistance that can be provided by states and even communities in securing lives and property should be integrated. The situation requires the collaboration of all, including the federating states”, the statement read in part.

However, the party said it remains open to all efforts toward national cohesion, security, peace, stability of the country and all federating units in a manner that promotes good governance and national cohesion at all times.