Gani Adams tackles SouthWest govs over insecurity

The Aare Ona-Kakanfo of Yorubaland, Otunba Gani Adams, yesterday blamed South-West governors for the security threats in the region.

Adams, who spoke with journalists in Ibadan at the security summit tagged: “South West Security Stakeholder’s Group,” regretted that before the issue of insecurity became alarming, he wrote letters to all the governors and traditional rulers on the need to prepare ahead “but they all kept mute until the situation got out of control.”

He acknowledged that herdsmen had been living in the zone, going about their cow rearing without any skirmishes ‘‘until recently when some criminals infiltrated them’’.

Adam said it was worrisome that ‘‘the leaders had been reluctant to the insecurity in the zone’’, saying “security of lives and property is sine qua non to economic, human growth and development’’.

He added: “The need to rid the South-West of these criminals informed my decision to hold the South Carolina West Security Stakeholder’s Group forum; the first in the series was held in Lagos, second one in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital and it will go to Osun, Ondo, Ekiti and Ogun states respectively.

“Before now I knew that insecurity that was confronting some parts of the country would extend to the South-West, I took the pain to write to our governors and traditional rulers but no response from them.

“Now that the issue is becoming unbearable, they are now looking for way forward. Though, I learnt from grapevine that some of our governors are waiting for approval from the Presidency to involve private security’’.