Over the years, in an attempt to optimize security and equip the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) unit of the police, the Lagos State government set up the Lagos State Security Trust Fund (LSSTF).
From this pool of funds, a substantial part of which was sourced from the private sector, the Lagos State government, over the years, managed to equip the police. These include hundreds of operational vehicles (and fueling), bulletproof vests, helmets, and communication gadgets.
With these, successive governments in the State have been able to stay on top of security challenges.
Therefore, I find it rather curious that, considering the security challenges currently facing the South West, particularly with the upsurge of kidnappings in Ekiti, Ondo, Oyo, and Ogun states, the South West Governors have not convened an emergency security meeting to stem this tide.
It would be recalled that about two weeks ago, the Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland and leader of Oodua People’s Congress (OPC), Iba Gani Adams, raised an alarm over the current situation. He pointedly accused the South West governors of ignoring his warnings on this issue.
According to him, over a year ago, he had written to the South West Governors, seeking collaborative initiative to combat these emerging security challenges but was ignored.
I think this poses a challenge to the South West Governors to rise to the occasion by collaborating with non-state actors like OPC, Agbekoya, and the local hunters to combat this monster.
More importantly, I expect the South West governors to replicate the Lagos Security Fund template by raising substantial funds from the private sector to effectively equip the Amotekun, which is the baby of the South West governors. And this needs to be done urgently! If billions of Naira are raised for campaigns, it shouldn’t be that difficult to raise similar billions to adequately equip the Amotekun. If Amotekun cannot be effectively funded, how are they going to fund the much-touted State police?
We cannot continue to praise the proactive moves of the late Ondo State governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, who gave life to the Amotekun and spoke boldly about the security challenges in the South West.
The seeming lethargy and lack of political will by the current South West governors do not engender confidence in the populace. This has to change.
They need to convene an urgent security meeting where other non-state actors are to be involved, where a broad based security prognosis are mapped out, leaving the sensitive details to a smaller committee made up of security agencies.
We are in a precarious situation where all hands must be on deck.