Apparently because of the sensitive nature of the matter at hand, the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi decided to speak in parables as he addressed the audience at Thursday’s official launch of Western Nigeria Security Network codenamed Amotekun.
The Ooni who spoke at the Oyo State Governor’s Office pavilion, the venue of the event confirmed that all the royal fathers in Western Nigeria are in support of the establishment of Amotekun.
While speaking in Yoruba parables, the first class monarch submitted that “if there is a fire disaster and one is being burnt, one must help himself first before thinking of his neighbours. We all must be careful because if the death does not have the collaboration of one’s relatives, he does not strike.”
The Ooni urged all Yoruba sons and daughters to continue to support all the governors of the region adding “we must support and pray for them because it was God that put them in charge and they are our leaders today.”
While welcoming his brother governors from Western Nigeria, the governor of Oyo State, Engineer Seyi Makinde explained that the move to establish Amotekun was borne out of the need to secure the people of the region from bandits who have been kidnapping and maiming law abiding citizens of the region.
Said Makinde “together with my colleagues, we are not out to duplicate the work of the Police or other security agencies. We do not want anybody to fear.”
While delivering his speech, Dr Kayode Fayemi, the governor of Ekiti State said the reports he has been reading about Amotekun on the social media are not satisfactory.
His words “the reports are attempts to sabotage what we are doing with Amotekun. We are unapologetic advocates of state police. But we are enlightened enough to know what to do. We will take constitutional path.
“Nobody should misconstrue what we are doing. Amotekun will operate on state by state basis but they will collaborate. We are not trying to undermine the authorities of the Federal Government under President Muhammadu Buhari.”
Other speakers at the event included Professor Banji Akintoye and Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu. The vote of thanks was given by the Director General at the Development Agenda for Western Nigeria (DAWN Commission).
Other dignitaries at the event included the Deputy Governors of Osun and Ogun States, Chief Ayo Afolabi, Arc Muyiwa Ige, Akogun Gani Kayode Balogun who represented Aare Gani Adams.
Credit: opera.com
