Governor Abiola Ajimobi

Tunde Sanni

Over N200million was raked in Thursday as Oyo State launched a security trust fund where the national leader of the Action Congress of Nigeria {ACN}, Bola Tinubu, and Governor Abiola Ajimobi, bemoaned the security situation in the country and the inadequate funds for the states to tackle the challenges.

Tinubu who spoke first at the event, stressed the need for security agent to be rapid, proactive and instantly responsive to security threats, lamenting the endless news of armed banditry, killings, assassinations across the country.

“Our homes have become bunkers and atimes almost like prisons, yet they have not protected us from danger. On our roads, places of worship, business places, markets and other public places have become danger zones where potential attacks can just be moments away.
Although Tinubu said the Nigerian constitution describes governors as the chief security officers of their states, he, nevertheless said that the Federal Government had been unable to fund the constitutional mandate of the states to provide effective security.

“In this year’s budget, for example, the Federal Government allocated the sum of N921 billion for security, which amounts to a paltry 19.4 per cent of the total budgetary outlay of N4.749 trillion. Yet no state or country can attract investments and development without assurances of security of lives and property.

In his welcome address, the host governor recalled that before now, the state had become a state of bedlam, with stories of pristine bloodshed always in the news, “blood was spilled at very sparse.”

“The situation had become so deplorable that legitimate businesses were threatened and those desirous of contributing their quota to the development of our state fled for their lives,’’ he said.

Ajimobi said that since coming into government, the security of lives and property of the people had been at the front burner of his administration, saying that with the help of providence, his government had reduced, almost to the barest minimum, incidences of miscreants’ clashes and spillage of blood at will.

Although he said that comparatively, the state had not witnessed any major security challenge since the advent of his administration, the governor, however, pointed out that cases of security challenges being witnessed by many of the adjoining neighbours had given birth to the proactive inclination of his government.