For the Ogun State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), it is increasingly embarrassing watching the depth of levity with which the Dapo Abiodun led government in Ogun State is watching the gruesome killings of innocent and defenseless citizens and residents of the state by Fulani herdsmen .
It was a soothing relief for us when the ruling government announced its readiness to inaugurate the much talked about Amotekun security outfit over a month ago. We felt the government had finally woken up from its long slumber. We thought it was ready to show capacity. Little did we know that it just drifted to another round of inactivity.
The spate of violence in the last few days around Ebute Igbooro, Oja Odan, Egua , Imala, Ijoun, Owode ketu and several other communities Yewa axis where countless number of people have reportedly lost their lives point to blatant confusion of a thoroughly clueless government which can only bark but can not bite.
For us, it is a growing source of worry to see how, owing to the deafening silence and inaction of the ruling APC government, life has returned to the Hobbesian’s State Of Nature where life was brutish, nasty and short. In many parts of Ketu land and indeed Yewa North axis, parents now prevent their wards from going to schools because of fear of Fulani herdsmen.
As responsible political party peopled with law abiding citizens, it is not our honest idea to convass or promote “Self Help mechanism for people to defend themselves especially when all the conventional security operatives have proven incapable of arresting the ugly monster as it rears its ugly head on daily basis across the state. We thought the government had a better idea of containing the carnage after denying seeking Mr Sunday Adeyemo’s intervention few weeks ago.
While we say this, it is equally germane to emphasize that it is up to the government to secure the citizens. Any failure, in this constitutional duty, the people have a moral duty to defend themselves against all forms of aggression .
On this note, we elect, once again, to charge the ruling APC government to live up to its primary responsibility of securing lives and properties of its citizens. The refusal of the ruling APC government to take a decisive action on the heinous attack of Ebute Igbooro community yesterday and several others before it by suspected Fulani herdsmen, clearly suggests a deliberate attempt by Ogun state government to massage the badly deflated ego of General Muhammadu Buhari led federal government.
While we commiserate with the people of the affected communities and the bereaved families, we hereby call on the ruling government to desist from paying lip service to the security of the lives and properties. Instead, it should without further delay, deploy massive security operatives to all affected communities. The government should engage all stakeholders in the communities and act decisively by encouraging and empowering local vigilantee initiatives against all criminal elements because eternal vigilance, they say remains the price of liberty.
