By; BAYO AKAMO, Ibadan
An Ibadan Senior Chief and former Secretary to the Oyo State Government, Akogun Sarafadeen Alli has disclosed that leadership of Ibadanland would soon launch its neighborhood security network to fight insecurity.
Akogun Alli who is the Oyo South Senatorial Candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) made this known while speaking as the guest speaker at the celebration of 100 days in office of the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Lekan Balogun, tagged, “Ibadan yesterday, today and tomorrow” organized by the correspondents Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Oyo State Council.
” The fate of Ibadanland has been left too long in the hands of nobody. But, today we have the Central Council of Ibadan Indigenes (CCII) that is doing these things. Also, we have the native security network in Ibadan; those of us in town will know the effect of some of these things”, he said.
Akogun Alli added, ” this is because we all have a focus for the Ibadan of tomorrow. We took a cue from the governors of the South West in setting up Amotekun to say let us have our own neighbourhood security network. We are working with the police and Amotekun to ensure that this works.”
He stressed that as at present, Ibadan indigenes are finding a way to insulate the palace of Olubadan from the state government, adding,
“one of the things we are looking at is having things that will fetch money for the institution and as such, no governor or anybody will be able to say or do anything to the Olubadan.
“Today, our fathers, the High Chiefs are the heads of the traditional councils of the 11 local government areas in Ibadanland. We are also thinking of ways of instituting reforms for that and a lot of work is being done by the present Olubadan and his advisory council. One of the things we are looking at is having things that will fetch money for the institution and as such, no governor or anybody will be able to say or do anything to the Olubadan”, he said.
Speaking, the President – General of the Central Council of Ibadan Indigenes, (CCII), Prince Oluyemisi Adeaga declared that Ibadan people are putting measures in place to fight insecurity in the city
“Security is a very technical issue. It is not about physical perspective. A lot of things are being deployed. To resolve security challenges in Ibadanland and state at large. Apart from the psychological aspect, we have deployed information technology for fighting insecurity. At Ibadan level, we have a network of security consciousness involving round all the Ibadan Mogajis, Bales and chiefs”, he said
Prince Adeaga added, ” in any community when there is crisis, it is not always difficult to zero in on the culprits because the Mogajis are involved and they know their subjects to easily track down criminal elements that cause problems in that areas.
” That is why the incidences of internal banditry is reducing now. But when it comes to external affairs, that is where we have a few challenges because we cannot control people coming to the state. There is internet monitoring of movement in the forest.”
In his remarks, the Senator representing Oyo South senatorial district, Senator Kola Balogun tasked the people of Ibadanland to engage in intellectual battles rather than hooliganism.
