Southern Governors Forum, yesterday, commended the call for State Police by the 19 Northern governors and Northern Traditional Rulers Council, describing it as a great relief.
Chairman of the forum, Governor Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State, in a statement, personally saluted the courage of the Northern governors and the Traditional Rulers Council for their stance at this crucial moment in the country.
The statement reads: “The Southern Governors Forum received with great relief the news of the resolution of the 19 Northern state governors and Northern Traditional Rulers Council to call for the immediate establishment of State Police to address the continued insecurity challenges in the country.
“Their decision to support the call for constitutional amendment to reflect the current realities could not have come at a better time than now when the confidence in the capacity of the Federal Government to secure the country appears shaky.
“All patriots must salute the courage of the 19 Northern Governors and the Northern Traditional Rulers Council for their stance at this crucial moment in the country.
“We, on our part at the Southern Governors Forum have continued to reiterate the fact of the incongruity inherent in an arrangement which purports to be federal, nominally, but whose observances stand at variance with the best practices espoused by climes considered advanced and progressing, amenable to nuances and adaptations which reflect and accommodate the yearnings for inclusion of the component units.
“We will continue to insist on the creation of State Police as the only logical and pragmatic solution to the pervasive problem of insecurity in the land.
“In addition to this, we shall not fail to renew the call for the adoption of policies geared towards real devolution of powers to the federating units indeed. This is the surest path to peace and progress.”
But following the insecurity bedeviling the country, the Central Council of Ibadan Indigenes, CCII, yesterday, said the Yoruba race would defend themselves against any external aggression.
Its President General, Prince Oluyemisi Adeaga, who made this known at the flag off of a week long programme in commemoration of the celebration of Ibadan Empire: Kiriji War and the Yoruba Peace Treaty, harped on the unity among the people of Yoruba states.
Adeaga said the unity that evolved from the signing of the Yoruba institute was more of a prophecy.
His words: “When we were not united at that time and we had remained different nation, nationality in Yoruba land, the kind of unity, cooperation and joint efforts we are having now which cumulated in the establishment of Amotekun could not have been possible.
“All Yoruba towns and states have established Amotekun and we are networking excluding the local vigilantes that we have. Even our local vigilantes have inter relationships in towns and states and that’s why the invaders have not been able to operate in the Southwest, especially in the Yoruba states.”
Speaking on the end of 17 years Kiriji war, which heralded peace in Yorubaland, he said: “Ibadan Empire has been in existence prior to the famous 17 years Kiriji war. The peace being enjoyed in Yorubaland is traceable to the peace accord signed after the war.
“The sustenance of the peace accord is one of the factors responsible for the population growth of Ibadan.
“Ibadan was just great because its warriors were courageous valiant soldiers who quickly established career development progressions for their captives with opportunities to become slave masters and slave masters’ master.”