Former Presidential candidate of the National Action Council (NAC), Dr. Olapade Agoro on Wednesday said the establishment of Western Nigeria Security Network code-named Operation Amotekun by the South West governors is in line with section 14 (1) of the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended.
Agoro who stated this in his reaction to the Tuesday’s declaration of Operation Amotekun as an illegal body by the Federal Government a few days after it was launched by the South West governors in Ibadan said there is the need for legal luminaries in and across Yorubaland to rise up and defend the creation of Operation Amotekun.
DAILY POST reported that Governors from the South West region had last week launched the new security outfit in Ibadan, the Oyo state capital.
But, Malami in a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media in Abuja on Monday, argued that the new security outfit is illegal.
However, Agoro while reacting, pointed out that the establishment of Operation Amotekun is “a realistic tandem with the provision of 1999 as Amended Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria that states at “Section 14 (1) that the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government”.
He maintained that the necessity of placing high value on human lives spurred the six Governors to establish the new security outfit.
“The necessity of placing high better value on human lives on doubt spurred the six Executive Governors of the South West States into thinking the concept AMOTEKUN as the way out and a necessity for preservation of lives and property of the good Yoruba people. Amotekun’ concept one can reason out is a timeous phenomenon of needs and necessity.
“It is a realistic tandem with the provision of 1999 as Amended Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria that states at “Section 14 –(1) the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government”.
Agoro while speaking further stressed that, “What became timeous and necessitous need for the good of the Yoruba people of Southwest Nigeria was no doubt the concept termed ‘AMOTEKUN’ translating and meaning ‘LEOPARD ’ the dreadful wild animal. At a time of pervading danger like Nigeria is currently reveling in, there must be no time wasting and or need for luxury of ‘wait and see’ sleepwalking.
“Good enough, we have eminent legal scholars among the six Governors of the Six South West Region particularly the Silk Oluwarotimi Akeredolu SAN.
“Also we must have six legal minded Attorney Generals in the six Yoruba States. All these plus other well placed legal gurus of Yoruba blood and interest should quickly come together irrespective of their religious and faith callings to tell the whole world that Yoruba is cultured, proud, of highly respected human values, no cowards and highly resourceful.
“This our ‘AMOTEKUN’ issue should be fought well to a logical conclusion if only to make the point that we are fearless ‘LEOPARD ‘ ready for the punch if challenged.
“The necessity of placing high better value on human lives no doubt spurred the Six Executive Governors of the South West States into thinking the concept AMOTEKUN as the way out and a necessity for preservation of lives and property of the good Yoruba people”.
