….Say Lagos must deploy Amotekun now
The Southwest Governors’ Forum on Wednesday declared that the utter disrespect, which underlines the response of a police officer to the Governor Babajide Sanwoolu of Lagos State establishes, beyond doubt, the impracticability of the current system, dubiously christened “Federalism”.
This was as members of the Forum condemned, in very clear terms, the role of the Attorney General of the Federation, Mr Abubakar Malami SAN in what they described as “this act of gross moral turpitude”.
The governors specifically said that an arrangement, which compels the Governor of a State to seek clarifications on security issues in his jurisdiction from totally extraneous bodies or persons, is a sure recipe for anarchy.
While condemning in very strongly what they described as brazen assault on decency, the governors called on the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to explain the justification for this intrusion, stressing that; “This is not acceptable”.
A statement by the Chairman of the Southwest Governors’ Forum, Governor Oluwarotimi O. Akeredolu of Ondo State stated that any expectations of rapprochement between so called federating units and federal security agencies are becoming forlorn, progressively, due to deliberate acts which mock our very avowal to ethics and professionalism.
The statement further said; “We are in possession of a video which has gone viral on the social media concerning the disgraceful exchange between a police officer, a CSP, and the Governor of Lagos State, Mr Babajide Sanwoolu, the supposed Chief Security Officer of the State, at the Magodo Residential Estate. The content of the video is very disconcerting, and this is being charitable.
“We, on our part, will continue to interrogate the current system, which treats elected representatives of the people as mere prefects, while appointed office holders ride rough shod over them as Lords of the Manor.
“If the purported Chief Security Officers of the States of the Federation require clearance from the office of the IG on matters within their areas of jurisdictions, only hypocrites will wonder why the current security crisis deepens and there appears to be no solution in the foreseeable future.
“We stand by our brother, the Governor of Lagos State. We advise him to deploy the Regional security outfit in the State to protect the lives and property of the people.
“We call on the President and Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces to rein in the excesses of certain elements bent on acting in a manner capable of eroding the bond of trust existing between the people and the Federal Government.
“It is preposterous for political appointees to seek to undermine the very structure of service upon which their appointments rest,” the governors stressed.
