Victor Ezeja
… Urges Lagos Govt To Urgently Deploy Amotekun For Security
Southwest Governors Forum has condemned the action of a Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP) who leading a team of officers, publicly defied the order of Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu to vacate Magodo Phase II Estate.
The governor had in the company of the Commissioner for Justice and Attorney-General of the state, Moyosore Onigbanjo, the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr Gbenga Omotoso and some members of his cabinet, visited the estate on Tuesday in an attempt to intervene in the ongoing land dispute in the area, and also calm the residents who were protesting against the planned demolition of their properties.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelOn a one-on-one conversation, the governor as the chief security officer of the state ordered the yet-to-be-identified CSP and his team to vacate the premises, but the officer refused, stating that they were there on the instruction of the Inspector General of Police (IGP) and the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF).
The incident was captured in a video that went viral on social media.
In a statement on Wednesday signed by the Chairman of the Southwest Governors’ Forum and Ondo State Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu SAN, the forum described the incident as “very disconcerting”, observing that the response of the officer shows his absolute disrespect for the authority of the governor.
It further observed that such incident proved “beyond doubt the impracticability of the current system dubiously christened ‘federalism.”
The statement reads, “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. The utter disrespect, which underlines the response of the officer to the Governor, establishes, beyond doubt, the impracticability of the current system, dubiously christened “Federalism”. 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.
“We condemn, very strongly, this brazen assault on decency. We call on the IG to explain the justification for this intrusion. This is not acceptable. 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.
“We condemn, in very clear terms, the role of the Attorney General of the Federation, Mr Abubakar Malami SAN in this act of gross moral turpitude.
“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.”
The governors said they were in solidarity with the Lagos governor and advised him to deploy Amotekun, the Southwest regional security outfit, to protect lives and properties in the state.
The forum also called on the President of the country who is the Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces to intervene in the matter and expeditiously resolve it to prevent the excesses of some people which according to them, are bent on destroying the relationship between the state and the Federal Government.
Police officers numbering over 50 were recently deployed to the estate to help suspected land grabbers to invade and dislodge people from there to claim possession of some properties based on a Supreme Court judgement which awarded a portion of the estate to them.
The governor addressed the protesting residents and assured them of an amicable resolution of the matter. He thereafter invited parties involved in the dispute to his office on Wednesday (today) for talks.
Victor Ezeja is a passionate journalist with seven years of experience writing on economy, politics and energy. He holds a Master's degree in Mass Communication.
