Worried by the worsening and prevailing security situation, the Speakers of the Six South West States under the auspices of Conference of Speakers of South West State Legislatures, have thrown their weight behind the Western Nigeria Security Network (Operation Amotekun), describing it as a supportive security mechanism targeted at curtailing threats and protecting lives and properties of residents in the region.
The Chairman, who is the Speaker of Ondo State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Oleyelogun Bamidele David, said this at the South West State Legislatures’ Security Summit held in Ibadan, explaining that the core objective of the new security network was to complement the efforts of existing security agencies in the country with a view to restoring public confidence that government remained committed to securing lives and properties.
According to him, the worsening security situation of the country over the years had brought about the summit of Speakers to put in place legislations aimed at salvaging the western region of various insecurity practices including armed robbery and kidnapping which had claimed lives and properties of innocent citizens.
Commending the South West Governors for their respective proactive strategies deployed at combacting security challenges, Oleyelogun implored the Speakers and members of the State Houses of Assembly to complement the efforts of the executive arm through legislations that would give legal strength to the security arrangements.
Also, the Chairman stated that the quest for financial autonomy by the State legislative arm in the nation was not a contest of power nor struggle for political space with other arms of government, rather it was aimed at deepening democratic practices, as it would give meaning to the concept of separation of powers as defined by the Constitution.
He added that the autonomy would make the legislature well functional, informed and independent resulting in infrastructural development for the creation of conducive environment for legislative work.
In his separate remarks shortly after the conference, the Speaker, Ogun State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon Olakunle Oluomo said Ogun State had already taken the lead in support of the security arrangement through the passage of the State Community Social Orientation and Safety Corps Agency Law, 2017 (SO SAFE CORPS) during the 8th Assembly, which was signed into law, in December, 2017.
He added that environmental and cultural diversity of the nation required community policing, which would assist the nation’s established security agencies through intelligence gathering to further enhance security network in the society.
In his welcome address, the host and the Speaker, Oyo State House of Assembly, Hon. Adebo Ogundoyin, noted that the forum was organised to deliberate on the progress and development of the Western region, admonishing lawmakers in the six legislative houses to give neccessary legislative backing to the governors to strenghten the security architecture of the region in the actualization of the new security outfit, which according to him would complement other security agencies in curbing the rising spate of kidnapping, armed robbery and other criminal acts in the region.
The Conference also had in attendance Speakers of the Houses of Assembly from the region including Lagos, who is also the Chairman of the Conference of Speakers in Nigeria, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa, Ekiti, Rt. Hon Niyi Afuye, and Osun State, Rt Hon. Timothy Owoeye
