Why did the shepherds in the forests of Ondo ignored the order to evict Akeredolu
Senator representing the Ondo South Senatorial District in the National Assembly, Nicholas Tofovomo, said that shepherds are still working in the Ondo Forest Reserve because the eviction order of Governor Rotimi Akeredolu has not been confirmed by law.
Last month, the governor issued an order to refuse shepherds wintering in the state forest reserve for criminal activities, in particular for kidnapping.
But in an interview with our correspondent on Friday in Abuja, Tofovomo said that the order to evict Akeredolu was ineffective because it was a simple statement that was not supported by the law.
He said: “When the governor issued the directive, I thought he would support it with an executive bill in the Ondo State Assembly House.
“This is his duty as the head of the state security service. If a law is passed on this, the police will enforce it.
“Now he also gave an order that is not supported by the law, because there is no structure on the ground that could force the police to follow the order.
“When the structures are on the ground, people will understand what you mean. We have security problems in Nigeria because the Nigerian police have failed. They are just like guards. They have no vehicles to travel to the bushes.
“Many state governors are gathering between 500 and 700 million Argentines every month to vote for security, but we don’t know what they are doing about it.
“They will only buy a few cars for the police. To date, Ondo State has no law against outdoor grazing.
“For a bill to be effective, it must involve all stakeholders. Traditional rulers should be encouraged to establish vigilantes and stop the movement of cows. “
Governors are now turning Amotekun into bodyguards.
Tofovomo said that Western Nigeria’s social safety net, also known as Amotekun, did not achieve its goal because the governors of the southwest region did not bring critical stakeholders with them during the learning stages.
He said: “The governors of the Southwest created Amotekun without getting critical stakeholder involvement.
“I am not involved in this as a senator. We have 18 senators from the southwest and none of us participated. Members of the House of Representatives also did not participate.
“They had to attract a lot of people. They had to take everyone with them. They should have organized a big symposium, and at the end it should say that we all agree.
“They just passed the bill directly to the houses of assembly without the involvement of stakeholders. We are not involved in this. We just watch them like a movie. This is why they cannot face insecurity in their states. “
The senator warned against using self-defense to counter the threat of shepherds in the southwest.
He said: “Self-defense is a bad tactic. Those who support her put the cat in front of the horse.
“It is better for them to tell the governors that they are using Amotekun as bodyguards to fund them and put the body facing the shepherds.”
The senator warned that amnesty bandits should abandon this thought, as it would result in death for the nation.
He said: “The amnesty for repentant bandits does not work. Where will you find them? They hide in dense forests.
“The money you spend on the amnesty should be used to equip the Nigerian police. We cannot have an effective police force if we do not have sufficient personnel in the Nigerian police force. ”
Source: – Punch ng
