A socio-cultural organisation, the Yoruba Council of Elders (YCE),
yesterday called on the National Leader of the All Progressives Congress
(APC), Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to stop playing the ostrich and speak up now
on controversies surrounding the new security initiative, Operation
Amotekun, recently launched by the Southwest governments.
The Federal Government (through the Minister of Justice and Attorney
General of the Federation), Abubakar Malami had declared the initiative
illegal, while southwest governors and major stakeholders in the region
insist they have carried major stakeholders in the Federal Government
along since the idea was first muted in July 2019.
Tinubu, who is the leader of the southwest APC that currently
controls five out of the six states in the zone, has remained
tight-lipped, and the YCE, Yoruba socio-cultural organisation,
Afenifere, as well as Yoruba Ronu are deeply troubled by his failure to
speak.
The Secretary-General of YCE, Dr. Kunle Olajide, told The Guardian,
yesterday, that Tinubu’s silence on Amotekun is worrisome and gives the
impression that he has abandoned the governors, who took the laudable
initiative, amidst the rising wave of insecurity across Yoruba land at
the mercy of the “almighty federal authority.”
According to Olajide: “One would have expected Tinubu to speak up. His
silence is not inspiring to most of us because it is incumbent on every
reasonable Yoruba person to speak on insecurity confronting us since APC
came into power in 2015. YCE is not particularly happy about his
silence.”
Olajide urged the media to approach Tinubu to speak up on the issue
because his voice as the political leader of the zone in the APC is
important. “The entire Yoruba nation supports what the governors have
done in setting up Operation Amotekun, but the Federal Government just
came up to declare it illegal. Tinubu’s silence is absolutely
worrisome.”
Afenifere, through its National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Yinka Odumakin
said Tinubu’s voice is irrelevant in this situation since the governors
and the entire Yoruba nation have taken a position on how to provide
security for their lives and property.
According to Afenifere: “Anybody who speaks up or not on this issue does
so for his/her sake, and the Yoruba future. Operation Amotekun
transcends party affiliation because Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State,
who is deeply involved is a member of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP),
while Governors Kayode Fayemi and Rotimi Akeredolu of Ekiti and Ondo
states spearheading it are of APC. And most other dignitaries backing
Amotekun have no political leanings.”
But for the President of Yoruba Ronu, Mr. Akin Malaolu, Tinubu is not in
government, therefore he does not have the power to speak for or
against Amotekun.
“It is true Tinubu’s followers and all concerned Yoruba people would
have expected him to take a position on the issue, but we at Yoruba Ronu
feel it is not yet appropriate for him to talk since the governors and
Federal Government are still discussing on the issue, while we also
believe that deliberation would be ongoing at APC levels of which Tinubu
would be involved.”
But surprisingly, a factional chairman of the Lagos State Chapter of
APC, Mr. Fouad Oki wondered what the people expected Tinubu to say on
Amotekun now when the governors, who planned the new security initiative
did not carry him along during the process.
According to him, “We must first and foremost establish whether the
governors appropriately sought Tinubu’s input on Amotekun when they were
planning it, and when it was launched? I am not advocating for
anybody.”
As at the time of filing this report, Tinubu’s spokesman, Mr. Tunde
Rahman was yet to respond to several calls placed to his mobile phone.
But another source close to him confirmed last night that he would soon
speak.
MEANWHILE, the Yoruba within and outside the country have been urged
to file out on Tuesday, January 21, 2020, in support of Operation
Amotekun.
The protest code-named “Amotekun Solidarity Walk,” which is being
organised by Yoruba World Congress (YWC), an umbrella body of all Yoruba
socio-cultural and self-determination groups within and beyond the
country, will take place in all states capital in the South West.
The YWC is led by Yoruba Leader, Emeritus Professor of History, and Second Republic Senator, Banji Akintoye.
According to a statement, yesterday, by YWC Director of Contacts and
Mobilisation, Comrade Victor Taiwo, the protest will hold simultaneously
in Lagos, Abeokuta, Ibadan, Osogbo, Akure and Ado-Ekiti respectively
from 9 am.
“All Yoruba people are urged to come out in their millions anywhere
they are in Oduduwa Land on Tuesday to show to the world that Amotekun
has come to stay. We must show to the external forces and their internal
collaborators, who want to stampede our resolve to protect ourselves,
safeguard our land from kidnappers, armed robbery, and put an end to
consistent destruction of our farmlands that enough is enough.
“Well-meaning Yoruba people and leaders of thought would be at
designated venues to address the protest. We want to assure our
governors that Yoruba people are behind them on Amotekun. We urge them
not to shiver and they must never shiver. It is no retreat, no
surrender. We will not surrender Amotekun.”
FORMER Commander of the First and Fourth Guard Battalions in Lagos,
General Yakubu Rimdan (rtd), yesterday, came hard on the South West
security initiative, saying it is not only illegal, but
unconstitutional.
General Rimdan in an interview with The Guardian said: “You cannot form a
force in a force unless you are asking for chaos. In any legitimately
established operational outfit that has been formed by the government,
nobody has the right to go and form any other thing unless you are
against the government. Then, of course, the government will come out to
deal with you. So, no one has that constitutional right to do it.”
“If there is any group or persons that are doing that, it is short of
asking for another Boko Haram within the area. The government cannot
just sit down to look at you and let you go ahead with it … If you are
trying to create a force in a force, you should never be allowed to
continue with it because it is a dent, which is against the Constitution
of this country. It should never be allowed to continue.”
RIGHT Reverend James Akinola (rtd) of the Diocese of Igbomina, Church
of Nigeria (Anglican Communion), also yesterday, called on the Federal
Government to support the security initiative, which is aimed at
boosting security in the geo-political zone.
The cleric, in his remarks at the 10th-anniversary thanksgiving
service of the Diocese of Ijebu South-West of the church, said the
initiative would complement the Federal Government’s effort at stemming
widespread insecurity in the country.
He charged the Federal Government to applaud the initiators of this
bright idea, the southwest governors, urging that the initiative should
be backed by law.
According to him, anyone, who loves life and hates shedding of
innocent blood would not only support Amotekun and those that came up
with the lofty idea but also promote the same.
“If some people are saying that the idea is not in the Constitution,
then since the Constitution is man-made, a clause for establishing
Amotekun should be simply included instead of continually casting
aspersions on a very bright development,” he said.
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