Issues of insecurity in Oyo state have gone beyond petty politicking. Governor Seyi Makinde appears overwhelmed at the dangerous dimensions insecurities have taken in the state, having a combination of armed robberies on bikes, assassinations, gangsterism, terrorism by local hoodlums, ubiquitousness of arms and ammunition, all besetting Oyo state daily.
During an interview with Edmund Obilo, Governor Makinde stated that he’s sleeping well as a governor and playing tennis; that he bears no tension regarding governing Oyo state. Both Edmund Obilo and listeners didn’t give any thought to the porousness of the statements by the governor. A governor who truly wants to succeed and rule well won’t sleep soundly, would have little or no time to play tennis, won’t look all puffy under the tensions of governance! Governor Makinde has emboldened people with criminal dispositions to take up the gauntlet of crimes and operate without let or hindrance.
Just yesterday, Governor Makinde was said to have adduced brimming population resulting from entries of people to Oyo state as the sole reason for the dangerous increases in crimes. Has Governor Makinde forgotten what he said on his 2nd Anniversary media chat on BCOS that the increasing population in the state is a good omen and a pointer that his administration has been doing wonders in the state? He made a joke that employers called him from Lagos that their employees visiting Oyo state on weekends return late on Mondays to work while Makinde replied that the employees were enjoying the breeze of peace and good governance blowing in the state. Is this really the case now?
Also during the media chat, Governor Makinde was asked how he was going to handle the influx of Okada riders sent away from Lagos to Oyo state. Flippantly, the governor responded that the teeming Okada riders were welcome as they’re going to be sources of revenue for the state, though he said they’re going to be regulated. But the grave concern here is that almost all the crimes being perpetrated daily in Ibadan especially are being done using bikes and allegedly being perpetrated by unidentified Okada riders! When will Governor Makinde begin to regulate Okada riders who have become more teeming than passengers in the state?
We must all join hands with the state government to arrest the blatantly brutal insecurities going on in the state. Governor Makinde must also be receptive to ideas and suggestions on how to tackle the grown menace. Critics are also advised not to only criticise and condemn government but to also proffer solutions to the current challenges. Below are some of the measures this writer thinks Oyo state government can take to rid the state of or reduce insecurities.
1. Proscription of Park Management System.
2. Unbanning of NURTW, calling all the six factions and sharing the leadership positions among them with the clear mandate to generate revenues for the state and to assist in tackling the security challenges in the state.
3. Placing Auxiliary on temporary ban from holding any office in the new arrangement with NURTW while his boys must be accommodated in the new arrangement.
4. Governor Makinde must seek assistance of the FG to wade in on the silent malice between him and Oyo state police command over the shabby manners he treated members of the police during endsars protests.
5. Governor Makinde must also seek the assistance of the FG to have a special police squad drafted to Oyo state as being done in the south east at present to fish out hoodlums and miscreants across the state.
6. Part of the security measures the special police squad needs to do is to comb the nook and cranny of the indigenous areas in Ibadan particularly to fish out hoodlums and miscreants terrorising the areas as well as other parts of the city. It’s been found out that hoodlums and miscreants from the indigenous areas go to other privileged areas like Oluyole, Elebu, Bodija and others to perpetrate crimes.
7. There must be partial ban of Okada commercial transportation especially from the major roads in the state. It’s been revealed that the crimes of robberies and assassinations being committed daily are done with bikes.
8. Security attention must be shifted to ATM galleries and banks as they have become easy targets for hoodlums to launch attacks on unsuspecting users of ATMs.
9. The state government in collaboration with the local governments, especially in Ibadan must embark on pulling down dilapidated structures in indigenous areas of Ibadan as the structures have been identified as hideouts for criminals who keep arms and ammunition there.
10. Part of the jobs the special police squad should do is to recover arms and ammunition from criminals in the state and block the channels through which they get weapons.
The issues of insecurity in Oyo state have become a fasting that we must embark on together.
Maroof Asudemade is a public commentator and a member of All Progressives Congress.
