South West PDP to Buhari: Attend to current internal security

THE Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) South-West zone, has charged President Muhammadu Buhari, to roll out new operational strategies to speedily bring to an end the current internal security challenges facing the country.

This was contained in a statement issued by the party and signed by the Zonal Publicity Director of the party, Mr Ayo Fadaka, who urged the President to be equipped and prepared to bail the nation out of orgies of violence, war, destruction and needless deaths across the country.

According to him, Nigerian are gripped with fear and trepidation, as Buhari prepares for his new term in office, noting that the insecurity in the land continues to grow in alarming proportions with no sign that the President is any manner ready to bail the nation out of this challenge.

Fadaka noted that the south-west region has become the new destination of the Fulani terrorists and herdsmen who have been tormenting the people of the region on a daily basis.

He said in the statement “In our region, kidnapping, assault and rape by these marauders remain unchecked, this lethargy has even emboldened them to even attack a traditional ruler in his palace, without repercussions, thus egregiously making a bold statement that we the Yorubas have become their captives.

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“This we condemn outrightly as a direct assault, insult and desecration of our corporate heritage as Yoruba people.

“Much as we know that we cannot use the activities of these criminals to judge the entire Fulani people, many of whom are accomplished and responsible leaders in our Party and nation, we however restate that the average Yoruba man is now compelled to believe that plans remain afoot to conquer and subdue us in our fatherland.

“This belief is further reinforced by the fact government’s security agencies directly under the control of Mr President has so far done almost nothing to challenge and outrightly put a stop to these insidiously dangerous actions of the so-called herdsmen.”

Fadaka however said “President Buhari must as a matter of fact know that Yoruba peoples confidence in his ability to make peace reign in our nation continues to sink every day and the danger in this is that resort to self-help may soon become the order of the day, except he takes concrete security/military actions in the South West immediately

“It is important that we put on record that when we contemplate the horrors of Rwanda in the nineties and the possibility of same in our nation today, our hearts sink and also dictates that we must begin to put in place actions to safeguard our nation and particularly our God-given fatherland.”

He called on President Buhari “to immediately order the Security agencies to flush these criminals out of the South West immediately if he does, we the Yorubas will heave a sigh of relieve and discard our suspicion that ethnic cleansing is about to be prosecuted in our nation. We will sincerely appreciate him for it.”

The statement read further, “However taking due cognisance of the President’s lethargy and pussyfooting, we may not expect this to happen soon, our conclusion in this direction is reinforced by the fact that he only recently gave a directive concerning the Apapa road debacle after years of crisis and suffering it has posed to the people and national economy.

“We also condemn the Governors of the South West, particularly those of Ekiti, Osun, Ondo and Oyo for not doing enough to safeguard their people.

“Roads across these States have become the theatre of operation of these hoodlums and they seem to stand by helplessly and watch, thereby making us query what indeed they spend the humongous sum they take as security vote on.

“When we recall that this same Ekiti that is the Fulani terrorists/ herdsmen main operational theatre was bereft of developments of this nature under ex-Governor Ayo Fayose, it calls to question the commitment of all our Governors to keep our region safe.”

“It is in Ondo State that an Oba’s palace was violently invaded by herdsmen and all the Governor did is an appeasement of the hoodlums, this is disappointing.
It is now becoming a common occurrence for these hoodlums to enter houses and pluck people like oranges.

“The Governors must compulsorily know that we are essentially Yorubas firstly irrespective of partisan political affiliations, thus must assiduously protect our people and land through the instrumentalities of their offices compulsorily, their failure so far, which we suspect is dictated by the ephemeral need to be seen as being loyal to Mr President, and remain in his good books without briefing him adequately on the challenges of our region is absolutely sycophantic and condemnable.

“It is absurd and inexcusable for us to be under siege in our own nation. We also call on Yoruba leaders to immediately shun partisanship and convoke a meeting where the issues of our security will be wholly addressed without delay.

“These are trying times for us as a people, we have not suffered this type of invasion since the betrayal of Afonja and we must as a matter of urgency develop an immediate answer to this scourge before it is too late.

“Our Obas owe us the responsibilities to eschew undue rivalry within their ranks, close gaps and design models of traditional response firstly in their various domain, and in our entire region.

“We also call on the APC leaders in the South West to put the pursuance of opportunistic desires aside and speak with President Buhari on this score, as for us in the PDP, we restate our loyalty to our Party and nation, but take very seriously our principled commitment to the peace and security of our region, Yoruba land,” Fadaka stated