Ayodele Fayose, a former Governor of Ekiti State, has given his opinion concerning the spate of insecurity in the country, saying that most of the incidents are stage-managed by some individuals to prove a point, News.ng reports.
Fayose said this in an interview on Arise Television on Sunday.
The former governor cited how a council chairman allegedly faked his own kidnapping just for some politicians to be elected into office.
The chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) added that kidnapping, which has now been monetised, involves family members and colleagues faking their own abductions.
He said: “Many people form their own kidnapping. Many, even husband and wife, can form it for material gain. You see a situation where a council chairman forms our own kidnapping or arranged kidnapping of some people just for them to be in office.
“So, there is no big deal. It is what they are doing today, which is regrettable. It has been monetised, even at the security levels.
“At different levels in families and colleagues, a lot is done. So, what I’m saying, in effect, was an allegation. In my view, the incidents surrounding what happened in Ogbomosho and the response of the state government.”
While the federal government has taken the bulk of the responsibility for fighting insecurity, the former governor noted that it is also the responsibility of state governors to partner with the federal government.
According to him, the subnational governments have every resource at their disposal to combat insecurity. He added that, while he was governor, he initiated laws through the State House of Assembly that prohibited the movement of cows in the state, which he claimed yielded positive results.
“But let me tell you very quickly. It is equally the responsibilities of the state. The federal government is to complement efforts of the state.
“Yes, they are not chief security officers, but the necessary resources are in their hands. To mobilise the police in their states. To mobilise relevant agencies of government for information.
“Information that can prevent, that can act on the spot, and that can cause after incidents a response. You see, no governor here will tell me that we don’t have resources to manage our affairs. When there is a declaration of a state of emergency in some states, it brings in the federal government’s intervention,”
“And I want to say to you, it was the responsibility, and it still is the responsibility of all state governors to manage the security network of their states. Again, when I was governor of Ekiti, I prevented, through due legislation, you cannot carry cows in my state. I mean, cows cannot roam in my states.
“Cows cannot move in my states during the night. You have to actually have a dedicated place where cows should be. And when some flouted this authority, we pursued these cows, took custody of them, and we were killing it for the state’s benefits,” he noted.
Watch the clip
