In complementing efforts of security agencies and Amotekun, a new group known as South-West Security Stakeholders Group led by the Aare Onakakanfo of Yoruba land, Iba Gani Adams has been unveiled.
The new group was unveiled, on Wednesday, when Yoruba leaders of thought, obas, chiefs, policy makers, politicians, technocrats converged on Ibadan for a Pan Yoruba congress.
The new platform is to be a convergence of various Yoruba socio-cultural groups, members of traditional institutions, members of groups like the Oodua Group Congress, Agbekoya, Soludero, hunters, vigilante and other non-state actors.
The meeting resolved that the new group became expedient owing to challenges that security agencies, as well as Amotekun faced in tackling security challenges facing the Yoruba nation.
Prior to the resolve, various speakers at the event had decried pointers to government’s helplessness in handling the nation’s security challenges.
They expressed worry that the Yoruba nation constantly recorded kidnappings, arson, killings, rape, destruction of farmlands and other means of livelihood.
Describing forests in Yoruba land as sacred, the communiqué of the conference, as read by Secretary-General, Yoruba Council of Elders, Dr Kunle Olajide, held that the Yorubas will not cede an inch of her forests to anyone.
The meeting especially urged governors of the South West to be cautious in implementing the National Livestock Transformation Plan, noting that lands of the region should not be ceded with relevant consultations and compliance with relevant laws.
Decrying the South West’s reliance on the North for food, the conference charged South-West governments to optimise the region’s potentials in agriculture.
In the same vein, the conference urged the South-West governors to revamp and reinvigorate Oodua Investment.
Giving his remarks, the Aare Onakakanfo of Yoruba land, Iba Gani Adams held that traditional rulers of Yoruba land must take the threat to the region as a matter of grave concern.
He harped on the need for unity among various Yoruba socio-cultural groups and among Yorubas general to achieve the desired progress.
Speaking on the capture of notorious Fulani, Iskilu Wakili, he said the arrest was the crescendo of one-month of planning and strategy by the Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC).
He however bemoaned that while three of his men who effected Wakili’s capture were arraigned for grave charges of murder, arson and belonging to unlawful society, Wakili himself was arraigned for charges which he described as “light and bailable”.
Speaking at the event, host governor, Mr Seyi Makinde said he was adopting the use of non-state actors like OPC, Soludero, Vigilante for voluntary policing, to complement efforts of regular security agencies in the state.
He stressed the need for traditional rulers to collaborate with non-state actors as well as all residents to tackle the security challenges facing the state.
Professor Soji Adejumo, who gave the keynote address, urged governors of the South West political zone to be proactive and collaborate on achieving food security.
Adejumo urged the governors to revamp cattle rearing areas established during days of Awolowo, as part of ways to deal with clashes associated with the rearing of cattle.
He also called for increased focus on agriculture by South-West governors to guarantee food security in the region and address the reliance on the North for food
In his opening remarks, chairman, Congress Committee, Sola Lawal decried that the Yoruba nation had witnessed a disruption of her peace as seen in several instances of kidnap, rape, killing, destruction of farmlands and properties.
He further lamented that the Yoruba nation was suffering losses that was even more than that of the Nigerian civil war.
With Yorubas living in fear of insecurity, he noted that it was high time, the race regained its lost unity, cohesion and glory.
The event saw contributions from various Yoruba leaders, traditional rulers, socio-cultural groups, youth groups among others.
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