FG, South-West govs ‘agree’ on Amotekun

The Federal Government and South-West governors have reportedly reached an agreement on Operation Amotekun.

The media aide to the Vice-President, Laolu Akande, made this known via his verified Twitter handle on Thursday.

However, he did not give details of the agreement reached.

“News Flash: FG, Southwest Governors agree on Amotekun,” he tweeted.

It will be recalled that a meeting between Osinbajo and the governors of the South-West states held at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Thursday.

The agenda is the security outfit, Operation Amotekun, recently launched by the states in the zone.

The Minister of Justice, Mallam  Abubakar Malami, and the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Mohammed Adamu, also attended the meeting.

Earlier, Amotekun had generated controversies.

The Federal Government had opposed it as it declared it “illegal” in a statement released through Malami’s office.

The government had said it had a policy on community policing, which had been approved by the President Muhammadu Buhari as against the regional Amotekun format.

However, the governors had insisted they would not dump Amotekun and sought rather to meet with the Presidency in the hope that the differences would be ironed out.

On Wednesday,   National leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu,  broke silence and debunked claims that Amotekun is a threat to national unity.

Tinubu, in a press statement  he personally signed, read: “Those claiming that this limited, inoffensive addition to security threatens the Republic have taken themselves upon a madcap excursion.

“Those claiming that the Federal Government seeks to terribly suppress the Southwest have also lost their compass. Those who occupy these two extremes have sunken into the dark recesses of fear and political paranoia that can undo a nation if such sentiments are allowed to gestate.”

The statement continues: “Amotekun. This issue has dominated recent discourse and media headlines. Distilled to its basics, it concerns how best state governments can assist with the safety and security of their residents. This is a matter of serious concern entitled to sober thought. However, it has been turned into a political tug-of-war. Fierce, often unthinking rhetoric, for and against, has crossed the lips of too many Nigerians. More subjective talking than objective thinking has been the fuel of this outburst.

“Question those in favour of Amotekun. Most have but the vaguest notion about it. They know few details yet vigorously attribute to its opponents the most negative intentions. Ask those who oppose Amotekun. They are equally ignorant of its provisions. They oppose the initiative not on its merits but merely because it was proposed by their political opponents or because they don’t see an avenue for personal gain from it.

“While colourful, the rhetoric has been disconcerting. How people have mishandled this matter demonstrates that we still have far to go in perfecting this democracy. Too much energy has been spent distorting this issue instead of seeking a resolution that supports local enhancement of security while keeping the constitution intact. If this becomes the standard for how we handle disagreements then we will obscure Nigeria’s path forward with our own rubbish.

“In this matter, I do not see malign intent in the differences of opinion between the SW Governors as authors of Amotekun and the Attorney-General as the primary law enforcement officer of the Federal Government. Shorn of the overly dramatic language, what lies before us is but a step in the evolution of our federalism. This is an opportunity to more clearly define that federalism; but one cannot attain this better, more functional definition through overblown, emotional language. Objectivity and calmness are required. To a significant degree, the enduring quality of our republic will be established by the sagacity with which we handle disagreements regarding the division of power between federal and state governments. Such disagreements are inevitable. This is not the first. Nor will it be the last. We must devote our energies more toward solving problems rather than amplifying them.

“Seeking to fulfil their mandates by helping protect their people, the governors of the Southwest collectively established a program to buttress existing security mechanisms. Seeking to protect the constitution as best he could, the Attorney-General offered his opinion on what he believed the governors have sought to do. No one can blame either party for seeking to fulfil what they genuinely see as their public duty.

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