S/West Speakers insist on state police, financial autonomy

 

Conference of Speakers of Southwest legislatures on Saturday called for state policing and regional security summit to proffer practical ways out of current insecurity in the zone.

They also asked South West Governors to jointly procure at least three security helicopters and drones for aerial surveillance of the region.

These were parts of the resolutions reached by Speakers and Majority Leaders of Houses of Assembly in the region during a meeting at Golden Tulip Hotel, Jericho, Ibadan.

Chairman Conference of Speakers of Southwest States Legislatures, Bamidele Oleyelogun, who is also Ondo Speaker, chaired the meeting.

Oleyelogun called on the Federal Government to take concrete positions by conveying a national security summit.

Speakers Olakunle Oluomo (Ogun) and Funminiyi Afuye (Ekiti) called on Southwest Governors to be more assertive and take bold stances to protect the Southwest states, especially by empowering forest guard.

Speaking on behalf of the Forum of the Majority Leaders in the region, Hon. Sanai Agunbiade, said the laws of Amotekun should be strengthened to further comprises surveillance and give royal fathers a role to play in the issue of security.

A communiqué presented at the end of the meeting by the Conference chairman reads in part: “The forum noted further and advocated as follow: that the Governors of the Southwest States should come together to procure drones and at least three helicopters for the aerial surveillance of the entire region.

“To adequately empower the forest rangers in the States to embark on aggressive patrol of the forest areas. This step will no doubt change the security architecture of the South West States;

“The laws establishing the Western Nigeria Security Network (Amotekun Corps) as passed by the Houses of Assembly should be strengthened to give room for the recruitment of able-bodied unemployed youths, as this will help in surveillance, information and intelligence gathering;

“Noted that there should be Southwest security summit to be organised by the Executive and the Legislature where resolutions will be passed;

“Noted that though, the present Nigeria Police are doing their best in securing the nation but the Conference insists on the establishment of State Police to complement the efforts of the Security Agencies.”

(The Nation)