Amotekun: Fayemi Ready to Tackle Insecurity, Says APC

Victor Ogunje in Ado Ekiti

The Ekiti State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has condemned the allegation made by the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) that Governor Kayode Fayemi is uncommitted to tackling killings and kidnappings being witnessed in state despite the major role the governor has been playing in the formation and operation of the Amotekun.

The party said that it read with dismay the defamatory statements the PDP made against Fayemi and suspected that the opposition party might be the sponsors of these dreaded incidences aimed at making the state ungovernable.

Recently, the PDP had alleged that Fayemi was showing no concern about killings and kidnappings in the state and asked the governor to seek help from right places rather than sleeping on the matter.

But the APC State Publicity Secretary, Hon. Ade Ajayi, yesterday affirmed that the Fayemi-administration is incurably committed to ensuring the safety and security of lives and property in Ekiti state and slammed the PDP for politicising such a sensitive issue.

Ajayi said: “At the federal level, Mr. Governor works very closely with the federal security agencies, and ensures officers and men posted to Ekiti are supported operationally and logistically in the discharge of their duties. As the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF), he is a well-respected voice in national discourse on security sector governance and continues to advocate on many important issues.

“At the regional level, he was central to the creation of the Amotekun Corps and continues in the bid to improve their operational effectiveness. He is vital to regional efforts aimed at enhancing collaboration amongst our neighbouring states to improve the security situation in the region.

“At the state level, through the Ekiti State Security Council, Governor Fayemi and other stakeholders have carried out several holistic and integrated interventions at the strategic and tactical levels to address insecurity.

“We expect that in keeping with democratic principles, Ekiti PDP would play their role as a responsible opposition and proffer constructive criticism and suggestions, and not fan embers of disaffection that would be inimical to our efforts in ensuring grassroots stakeholders have a greater role to play in our security architecture.

“The discerning should be curious about Ekiti PDP’s position on the matter. The hearts and minds that could be so desperate and insensitive to conjure such lies are very capable of orchestrating criminal events to support their libelous narrative.

“We are glad that they have inadvertently offered an insight into the thinking in their camp and provided leads that the security agencies would investigate thoroughly in line with the suspicion that many of the security incidences in the state have happened with the active connivance of criminal informants.

“Already, a suspect has been caught in relation to the recent security incident on the Ewu Ekiti and Aiyetoro Ekiti road that is cooperating with the police. Is the Ekiti PDP be behind these targeted security breaches in Ekiti state?

“We empathise with the heavily splintered PDP who are smarting from the scandalous decimation of their ranks. Their members at the state and national levels are daily abandoning the sinking ship, and they have totally lost their bearing and appreciation of the role of a responsible opposition party.”

However, the PDP State Publicity Secretary, Mr. Raphael Adeyanju, has said that the APC should accept the fact that the ruling party has failed the nation on the issue of security.

Adeyanju said: “This is a very laughable allegation. How could a failed ruling party accuse us of sponsoring kidnappings and killings?

“They have killed, maimed and committed all sorts of atrocities, which we have exposed and which they have not found any meaningful explanation for. Any time you challenge them, they always resort to insults. But Ekiti people know the difference between the two parties.

“The APC should try to address all the issues we have been raising and stop all these dirty tricks. We have only asked them to fulfill their electoral promises, which they have failed to do. When they came, they promised to turn the economy around, but instead they have destroyed everything.

“On security, they have failed completely and we stand on our point that the APC is a terrorist party. If they are not, let them convinc Nigerians through their actions.”