By Ademola Atobaba
It is no longer news that the alarming state of insecurity has made many stakeholders to put government at all levels on their toes for their apparent inability to get the security agencies to secure the country from marauders, killer herdsmen, bandits, rustlers, robbers and kidnappers.
To contain and reverse the ugly trend of mindless killings and kidnappings of innocent Nigerians and pervasive fear already in the country, the Operation Amotekun which is an indigenous security arrangement would operate in partnership with the communities in all the southwest states and it is a new dimension put in place to combat crimes at the local levels.
It is on records that the practice is very similar to the age long arrangement in some states where the services of different vigilante groups are usually employed to enhance security. States like Lagos, Oyo, Katstina and Kogi have experimented it for years.
The Amotekun Opration is a formal security outfit put in place by the governors of South-West states of Ekiti, Ondo, Osun, Oyo, Ogun and Lagos; the development which at the beginning generated divergent reactions across the country after its official take-off in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital and later other five remaining states joined.
It is a known fact that the nature of the security challenges facing our country needs urgent attention the way our governors did. The need to combat banditry, kidnapping, abduction, human trafficking and all other social vices cannot be overemphasized as these menaces are dangerously threatening peace, stability and even corporate existence of the country.
Section 214 of the 1999 Constitution states that, “There shall be a Police Force for Nigeria, which shall be known as Nigeria Police Force, and subject to the provisions of these section no other police force shall be established for the federation or any other part thereof”. But, there is no gainsaying the fact that Nigeria is under-policed.
The ratio of Nigerians to a police officer is still far below international standard. Not only this, the present Nigeria Police is under funded and ill equipped.
Another point that needs to be urgently addressed is Youth unemployment, which is currently paving the way for crime, poverty and terrorism. Nothing much has been done to address the trend.
The earlier the government at various levels realised that unemployment and discrimination compel the people into committing crime to meet their basic human needs, the better for all.
In the last ten years, government spent billions of naira to stock weapons in order to fight crime and terrorism, if the government can pump half of this sum of money in ten years into businesses and sectors that can create jobs, the crime rate will fall and in no distant time, terrorism will be a thing of the past.
Without mincing words, Operation Amotekun security outfit has been so far complementing the efforts of the existing security personnel especially in the entire Yorubaland. Securing the citizenry remains the sole reponsibility of the government in line with section 14 (2b) of the 1999 Constitution as amended.
The establishment of Operation Amotekun in South-West is still in accordance with the law of the land. Amotekun as a proactive and pragmatic approach would alleviate Nigeria’s security challenges if well managed.
Other geo-political zones in Nigeria should take a cue from the steps taken by the South-West governors in order to bid insecurity a final farewell.
Aside those commendations from well-meaning Nigerians, other regions which have shown interest in this development include PANDEF, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, ACF and Middle Belt region.
The earlier endorsement by the Inspect-General of Police, stating that his commission would play the supervisory roles over Amotekun personnel is a plus towards the future success of Operation Amotekun in our various communities.
The involvement of locals as personnel in this type of arrangement would obviously reduce unemployment, poverty and hunger as root causes of criminality, crises and insurrection in many instances.
Nigeria as a Federation with over 200 million people could be difficult to be effectively secured only by the central policing system. The South-West has about 2,500 communities with various forms of security challenges.
Security is more enhanced in the developed climes where both, local, state, regional and federal police are synthesized to complementarily work together. The idea works perfectly in America, Britain, Italy and the rest.
However, every coin has two sides. We cannot but envisage some hitches with the advent of Operation Amotekun in the South-Swest states, most especially with the attitude of some desperate politicians.
The governors as financiers of this laudable programme might want to use it to feather their political nest. But, the supervisory roles of Nigeria Police Command might curb this particular problem.
Those challenges envisaged over it’s establishment by many Nigerians will be curbed by the Police commission which has already pledged its readiness to offer supervisory roles.
It is a known fact that every innovation has pros and cons. Both the advantages and disadvantages of Operation Amotekun as adumbrated above could be weighed.
Nevertheless, we still need a security outfit that can primarily fight criminality and insecurity at the grassroots but they also need people’s support to offer them useful information.
We must not also forget to commend the joint efforts and the initiative of South-West governors who came to power under different political parties. Indeed, they have demonstrated their genuine concerns for the security of the governed by putting their political differences apart to pursue the security of lives and properties of its citizenry.
The welfare of the personnel must be well catered for, so that they can perform effectively and efficiently. Then, even if the salaries cannot be significantly increased annually, priority must be given to their prompt payment, while emphasis should be placed on their training and professional development.
To crown it all, at the domestic front, the government must seek more realistic ways of promoting inter-ethinc harmony and concord. It should creatively engage traditional rulers, the custodians of the customs of the people, on the need for peaceful co-existence among the various ethnic nationalities making up the country. There is no better time to embark on such collaboration than now.
Written by:
A Journalist and Public Affairs Commentator, Ademola Atobaba.