Former Ekiti State governor and the Social Democratic Party (SDP) governorship candidate, Asiwaju Segun Oni, has promised the people of the state a robust security of lives and property, create a secured environment comparable to 2010 crime level with an ultimate goal of zero crime rate in Ekiti if he is elected as the governor in the June 18 governorship election.
Oni stated this when a group of farmers in the state paid him a solidarity visit at Ifaki-Ekiti last weekend and pledged to support him to win the governorship election.
As reported in a press statement made available by Idowu Adelusi, the spokesman of Ekiti Build Back Better (EBBB), a pro-Segun Oni group, to journalists in Ado-Ekiti on Thursday, Chief Timothy Orilogbon and Chief Babatunde Ilori, who led the farmers, told Oni that the purpose of their visit was to draw from him promises to tackle problem of insecurity which had driven them away from their farms.
They also cited his promise to assist farmers with incentives to boost food production.
The duo, who spoke on behalf of others, said, “Your Excellency, this is our first visit to you since you showed interest to become our governor again.
“We are farmers speaking on behalf of the entire farmers in Ekiti. We have no other means of living, except farming.
“The fear of killer herdsmen and kidnappers have driven us away from our farms; many of us have been killed, some were maimed and our wives and daughters were raped in the farm. What are you doing about this sir?”
While responding, Oni said he would put a stop to insecurity bedeviling the state, “even though Governor Kayode Fayemi, with his Phd in War Studies, failed woefully to tackle the problem.”
He assured everybody living in the state of a robust security.
His words: “I can assure everybody living in this state of a new dawn, if I am elected as governor of this state on June 18. A new dawn implied freedom for everybody to go about their lawful duties, freedom for the farmers to go about their farming activities without being attacked by killer herdsmen.
“No longer will criminals come to kill you on your farms or destroy your crops or rape your wives and daughters. When I said something, I mean it; I will put a stop to the nonsense.”
To achieve this, the Baba Ijo of Edward Jones Methodist Cathedral, Ifaki-Ekiti promised to centralise the intelligent security control system; apply local-intercommunity security such as the Amotekun and other local innovations.
He continued: “I will establish a comprehensive statewide security and surveillance programme; secure the forests and highways and embark on large scale street lighting project across communities in Ekiti.”
Oni also promised to assist the farmers to access credit lines, provide fertilizers, herbicides, fungicides, pesticides and seedlings to boost production, as he did during the first term administration.
He, therefore, urged farmers and everybody in the state to come out enmass on June 18 to go to their respective polling units and cast their votes for him. Oni said to change Ekiti for better was a responsibility of all Ekiti people, “no one should sit on the fence, no one should be left out, they should fear no foe, and the security agencies will be on the ground to prevent intimidation and harassment.”
Packaged by Emmanuel Adeniran
