Governor Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State said the Amotekun security outfit must be allowed to bear the most sophisticated weapons to enable it to fight back against criminals in the southwest region.
Mr Akeredolu, who is also the Chairman of the Southern Governor’s Forum, stated this on Monday at the Passing-Out Parade of Courses 3 and 4 of the State Amotekun Corps in Akure.
According to him, security outfits created by states must have access to the same sophisticated weapons that the criminals have.
The governor noted that the current internal security framework in the country is ineffectual, stressing that the response of the states by setting up their own outfits is necessary and indispensable.
He said: “The Western Nigeria Security Network, Amotekun Corps, as a response, is now not just the first line of defence, but the ultimate bulwark in the protection of a way of life and of a civilisation.
“The efforts of our determined and valiant Amotekun personnel since inception must be underscored, encouraged, and highly commended. We must all rise at this time to acknowledge their efforts.
“On our part, we will continue to support the operational capacity of all security agencies in the state, both in terms of equipment and the welfare of their personnel.
“The Amotekun Corps must be given the tools to carry out its now pivotal, indispensable duties. For centuries, we have been admonished that ‘a bad workman blames his tools,’ in the case of Amotekun Corps, the workman is expected to function without good tools.
“It is not only absurd but also a dereliction of duty and a cause of disaffection. Dissatisfaction is induced by a feeling of unfairness.
“The crisis in the conventional wisdom is life-threatening and nationwide. Therefore, it is unacceptable if the state sanctions differing rules of engagement for different sub-national governments.”
Mr Akeredolu added, “without providing the sub-national security forces to be a counter-balancing force we have a crisis which strikes at the heart of the conception and the definition of the state itself”.
“It is not just the definition of the state, the state itself is under existential threat. The modern state is defined by treaties.
“The conception of the modern state beatified by these treaties gives it ‘an incontestable monopoly of the means of violence, intimidation and coercion.”
Continuing, the governor added that Amotekun “must therefore be armed and will be armed and be backed by law, otherwise, the training will be inadequate and will mean placing the lives of the corps in danger”.
