Insecurity: Gani Adams Faults South-west Govs on Recruitment of Private Security

Hammed Shittu

Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland, Chief GaniAdams, has berated some South-west governors for their alleged plan to recruit their surrogates to form state security apparatus in the region.

He said such purported move would not improve security situation in the region.

Speaking with journalists in Ilorin, Kwara State capital during a sensitisation programme on security for members of the Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC), Adams condemned the move, describing it as unacceptable.

The Aare Ona Kakanfo, who said political leaders should differentiate between politics and security, added that “without security there can’t be good governance.”

He commended present complementary roles between the police and the OPC on security matters, especially in the South-west, adding that stakeholders should support the collaboration rather than work against it.

Do you know that some Southwest governors are recruiting their political errand boys for security purposes without consulting me or the OPC anymore? And when the issue of security threats arises, they’ll remember to call the Aare Ona Kakanfo to come and intervene. I’m not getting salary from any government, but I’ve been using my money to run this position and for this organisation.

“An example is in Ogun State, where some few people were taken to forest to be personal private security of the state government. It’s condemnable. We should differentiate between politics and security. Without security, there can’t be good governance.

“When a government decides to politicise security matters, such move is doomed to fail. If there’s any security problem in the South-west region, people should not hold me or the Inspector General of Police (IGP) responsible. The IGP has done his part by partnering with our organisation based on our antecedents. But, some of our governors want to politicise security issues. It’s uncalled for and it’s unacceptable,” he alleged.