Insecurity: South West must review liberal policy –Akeredolu

Bamigbola Gbolagunte, Akure

Governor Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State has expressed concern over the security challenges threatening the peace and socio-economic development of the South West states.

He said the South West states have been peaceful and accommodating to people from other parts of the country since the time immemorial until the recent  occurrences, such as kidnapping, armed robbery, killing and drug abuse.

The governor, in a statement, yesterday, by his Chief Press Secretary, Segun Ajiboye, stressed the need for the South West region to review its liberal policy of openness.

He called on the South West governors to collectively rise to protect their people.

Akeredolu said: “As leaders of our people, we cannot afford to be emotive in taking decisions for their benefit.

“Any step taken must reflect the collective will to protect them. No sacrifice is too much to preserve this heritage of peace and prosperity.

“We should be particularly worried by the current spate of an insidious phenomenon, hitherto unknown and uncommon in our immediate clime, creeping into our erstwhile peaceful and prosperous ambience.

“Our collective goal should be the security of our space and safety of our people in all ramifications. On this, there should be no compromise.

“We must, consequently, be proactive in tackling the current security issues. The adoption of a scientific approach towards the resolution of the current crisis will bear far-reaching effects.

“Our people stand to benefit from our resolve to ensure that they remain at the centre of all permutations and considerations. Partisan coloration should not delimit the extent of collaboration aimed at maximum service for our people.

“With shared yearnings for the development of the region, there should be no difficulty in agreeing to provide the best services possible in the interest of our people.”

The governor said insecurity in the region should compel a broader and open-minded analysis of the strange occurrences with a view to ascertaining the real reasons responsible for the disquiet.

Akeredolu added that his administration organised a security summit to come up with practical solutions when Ondo State was faced with security challenges.

He recalled that security experts and representatives of agencies agreed on the pathway towards the resolution of insecurity in the state, adding that “because of the strategic location of Ondo State, which increase the volume of human and vehicular traffic passing through the state, the situation give room for constant alertness.”