In a bid to ensure safety and security in the South-West region of Nigeria, prominent stakeholders have reinstated their calls for a decentralised policing system in the country.
They made the calls at a safety and security workshop held at the Conference Centre of Lead City University, Ibadan, Oyo State, on Wednesday.
The workshop on Safety and Security was organised by The Yoruba Leadership and Peace Initiative (TYLPI).
The leaders, in their various submissions, agreed that security was a collective responsibility of all, calling for the creation of state police.
In his submission, Retired Brig.-Gen. Kunle Togun, the Chairman, Oyo State Security Network code named “Amotekun,” stressed the need for decentralisation of the nation’s policing system.
Togun said that Nigeria is operating a presidential system of government with its own rules, pointing out that the country is not operating what was copied from the U.S.
“If we want to operate presidential system of government, it should be done correctly. In U.S, each state has its own laws and police.
“The Federal Bureau of Investigation is the domestic intelligence and security service of the U.S and its principal federal law enforcement agency,” he said.
Togun said that the state police would be greatly beneficial in tackling insecurity and would also create employment opportunities.
Commenting, Oba Adedokun Abolarin, the Orangun of Oke-Ila, said that ensuring security of lives and property is the collective responsibility of all Nigerians.
The traditional ruler also supported the decentralisation of the policing system, urging Nigerians to co-habit peacefully.
“Stability can only be experienced in a society where there is no poverty and insecurity. We must all join hands in tackling insecurity. It is a collective responsibility.
“We must also imbibe the spirit of tolerance and love toward one and another. We must live in harmony for our nation to attain the greater status we deserve,” Abolarin said.
He said that with peaceful coexistence and united front, Nigeria in the next 50 years, would be the best in Africa and one of the leading nations in the world.
Also, Mr Olusegun Ahmadu, the TYLPI President, said the workshop was organised for stakeholders to brainstorm and put together various recommendations targeted at ensuring peace and stability in the country.
“In the last couple of years, we have had incursions in Oyo, Ondo and Osun States. About two months back, we had a real scary one of Prof. Agbaje and others who were abducted very close to Ibadan.
“We felt we should not all sit down as lame ducks with all our education, exposure and experience. We just can’t sit down and allow ourselves to be abducted for ransom,” he said.
Ahmadu said that a communique containing various recommendations would be issued at the end of the workshop for onward transmission to the government.
He said that such was a way of complementing the efforts of the government in tackling insecurity in the country.
The workshop was attended by academia, traditional rulers, artisans, traders, hunters and other stakeholders of across the South-West extraction.