DEBO ADEOYE, SOUTHWEST
GOVERNOR OLUWAROTIMI AKEREDOLU on Tuesday accused a Senator from the Southwest region for selling out over the Operation Amotekun which led to the declaration by the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, ABUBAKAR MALAMI that the outfit was illegal.
The governor also blamed the Senator of giving the MIYETTI ALLAH GROUP opportunity to be attacking the Western Nigeria Security Outfit in an unreasonable manner.
It is generally believed that AKEREDOLU was referring to the Senate Deputy Majority Leader, PROF. AJAYI BOROFFICE representing ONDO NORTH, who had earlier said that Senators from the Southwest were not carried along in the formation of the operation Amotekun and they are not in support of the initiative.
Members of the South-West caucus in the Senate said they were not carried along by governors in the geopolitical zone before, during and after the inauguration of the zone’s security outfit, Operation Amotekun.
The Deputy Leader of the Senate, who is also the Chairman of the South-West caucus in the red chamber, PROF. AJAYI BOROFFICE, told newsmen last week Monday that his colleagues were not part of the Amotekun arrangement, expressed concerns over the alleged shoddy handling of the project by the state chief executives.
According to BOROFICE: “They wondered why they (Senators) were not consulted for their input before the governors decided to launch the initiative.
“I am also not aware that the South-West caucus of the Senate was briefed officially. I am the Chairman, Senate South-West Caucus.”
Punch reports that another senator from the Southwest zone, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the governors should immediately return to the drawing board and do the right thing about the project.
“When we resume plenary, our colleagues from other zones would be asking us about Amotekun but we don’t know what to tell them because we were not briefed.”
He said, “We are all stakeholders in the South-West. The governors should not have done such a thing without carrying us along.
“The governors should be blamed if the project fails because critical stakeholders who should be part of the initiative from the formation stage were ignored.
“When we resume plenary, our colleagues from other zones would be asking us about Amotekun but we don’t know what to tell them because we were not briefed,” the unnamed senator said.
However, Governor AKEREDOLU, in a statement signed by OJO OYEWAMIDE, his Senior Special Assistant (Media and Publicity), said the Senator should be blamed for the outburst of the Miyetti Allah and the AGF’s declaration.
AKEREDOLU said, “the outburst of the Miyetti Allah scribe was live on national television. As usual, the issue was Amotekun. Rather than throwing the same stones the arrogant miscreant threw at the governors, we will rather put the blame on the internal collaborators whose parochial political pursuits have beclouded their sense of tomorrow.
“Yes, the possibility of an outburst as such can only be seen when a serving senator, because of his political ambition, would rather demonize Amotekun than support the scheme.
“Is it not curious that it was shortly after a supposed Senator whose immediate environment is the most affected by insecurity pummelled Amotekun that the Federal Attorney General came out that same evening to issue a statement?
The governor blasted BOROFFICE thus. “these are the internal collaborators who have sold the Southwest out. However, we must emphasise that our unity and cohesion as a nation are two cherished features that we cant afford to undermine.
“For the umpteenth time, Amotekun has come to stay and all legal means will be deployed to achieve same without necessarily affecting our oneness as a nation. Like others elsewhere, Amotekun remains complimentary. It is not a regional force. AKEREDOLU concluded.
