The Aare Onakakanfo-in-Council, the highest decision-making body of the 15th Aare Onakakanfo of Yorubaland, Iba Gani Abiodun Ige Adams, has urged the Federal Government to treat the deplorable road networks across the country as a national emergency.
The Council also counselled the 36 states of the federation to do the same, contending that there was a nexus between the appalling state of roads and crimes like kidnapping, armed banditry and sundry others across the country.
The body, which rose from its quarterly meeting on Sunday, November 10, 2109, said in its communiqué, signed by Aareonakakanfo of Yorubaland, Iba Adams; Prof. Kolawole Raheem and 20 others, that declaring a state of emergency on Nigerian roads was a sure way of “impeding the activities of criminals who have turned their evil enterprise to mega business across the country.”
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The Aare Onakakanfo-in-Council, in the communiqué, equally urged the South-West governors to intensify efforts on its flagship security initiative, code-named “AMOTEKUN,” for the preservation of lives and property in the region.
The Council, while urging the Yorubas to support the governors to enable them achieve success, and total emancipation of the region as a way of achieving peace, security and stability, specifically commended the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mohammed Adamu, for its decision to support and collaborate with the Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC), as well as relevant private security organisations, to stamp out crime and criminality in the region, as well as enhance security nationwide.
Speaking further, the body commended the national initiative to move Nigeria from a mono-economy, based on petroleum, into other areas of economic activities, even as it vigorously implored the South-West governors to invest heavily on agriculture, agricultural and livestock production, strategic storage, among others to enable it to feed its teeming populace and gainfully engage the spiralling population of its unemployed youths.
According to the Council, the approach, if embarked upon “is a panacea/antidote to the prevailing criminal activities among that segment of our national population.”
Another major decision taken by the Aare Onakakanfo-in-Council was its resolve to shift the celebration of the second coronation anniversary of Iba Gani Abiodun Ige Adams, originally scheduled for January 13, 2020, to January 15, 2020.
The Council said it took the decision in deference to the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Olayiwola, who is going celebrates his 49th year anniversary on the throne come January 13.
The Council, therefore, has decided that henceforth, the coronation anniversary of the Aare Onakakanfo will hold on January 15 of every year.
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