Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State had Thursday, acted in his capacity as Chief Executive Officer, re-iterating his commitment to peace in the state and stating that nobody has the right to issue orders asking Fulanis to vacate the state.
His response to a threat order made by a Yoruba freedom fighter, Sunday Igboho, has raised a lot of controversies among the Yorubas.
The Afenifere and Yoruba Council of Elders have largely supported the governor saying that the land is governed by law and order.
Lending credence to this support is PDP Stalwart and Chairman, Oyo Pacesetters Company, Dare Adeleke, said nobody can usurp the powers of the governor by issuing edits which may only end up in chaos and anarchy.
Adeleke in a statement issued in Ibadan, Friday morning, and made available to Freelanews, stated that the governor has prioritised security of lives and property above all else.
The statement reads:
The menance of kidnapping and wanton destruction of lives and property has been a very disturbing trend in recent times.
While the country writhes in pains over these crimes, Oyo State has been burdened by it’s own share of the wanton crimes being carried out in our land, unfortunately by a certain group of people, namely Fulani militia and bandits who have taken over forests and surrounding environs to unleash terror in citizens.
Our people have a right to be angry.
However, as justified as their anger is, undirected action without a plan, fanning embers of discord, breeding hate among the people, will only lead to crises which we do not need now.
This was why Yoruba leaders from across the country and state governors formed and legitimised a new security outfit for the region.
The Western Nigeria Security Network codenamed Operation Amotekun, was instituted as a security outfit for all the six states of the region with the responsibility of curbing insecurity in the region.
It will be remembered that the governor of Oyo State, Seyi Makinde played host to all the state governors and other Representatives and the outfit, despite resistance from the federal government and some other interests, birthed.
We all must bear in mind that while other states shirked from activating the Yoruba Amotekun into action, His Excellency, Engr. Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, formed, enlisted, trained and equipped the Oyo Amotekun which is barely six months old.
At the same time, Governor Makinde has spared no effort as the Chief security officer of the state, to fund the Nigerian Police Force in the state, donating cars and other equipment for effective combating of crime in the state. He has been working closely with the police and Amotekun without doubt has, in the short while of it’s existence, been highly effective in community policing.
However, latest reports that some Fulanis who committed heinous crimes in Ibarapa North Local Government Area of Oyo State, is highly disturbing, and we can understand why anger is flaring.
Nevertheless, nobody has the right to usurp the powers of the governor.
Nobody has the right to issue out edicts and threats asking the Fulanis to quit the land in 7days.
We cannot take the laws into our hands.
We have the constituted authorities to effect law and order and Governor Makinde has spent huge resources to ensure such crimes are curbed and eradicated in our land.
I sympathise with the people of I understand why the respected firebrand Freedom Fighter, Chief Sunday Adeyemo aka Igboho was so angry that he ordered the Fulanis out but Igboho is not the governor of Oyo State.
We have lived in peace with the Fulanis for over 100years and as the saying goes, not all Fulanis are bad.
The criminal militia or herders who have taken over our forests must be dislodged and His Excellency Seyi Makinde has shown a true sense of purpose and the will to do that.
We must note from experience that breeding hate has never helped any side of the divide.
Hate has the power of inciting violence against our own people who are in the northern part of Nigeria.
Hate brings carnage and can even lead to war and genocide.
Governor Makinde cannot fold his arms and allow mayhem, and chaos to fester in Oyo State.
Igboho should have consulted with the governor or other relevant state agencies first. I am sure Governor Makinde is not unaware of the latest deplorable activities of these group of Fulanis and he is not going to ignore it.
We know our governor as a man not given to threats without action. He is a man who wants peace but will strategically take the fight to the enemy and execute a well planned operation without disturbing the peaceful co-existence between the people of Oyo State and other tribes who have come here for life and living.
In all he does, Seyi Makinde puts Oyo first. The enormity of the security situation is not lost on him. Oyo Amotekun is doing well in community policing, intelligence gathering and protection of Yorubas lands.
We must allow the security outfit, other vigilante groups and the police do their work.
Finally, I must point out again that we have laws guiding and guarding us. We cannot spiral our land into confusion and anarchy. We must allow the governor, whom we all gave our trust at the ballot to do his job of safe guarding life and property of all Indigenes of Oyo State, ensuring peace and unity amongst us and our neighbors and more importantly, enforcing the law and bringing culprits to book.
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