by The Ajasa News | January 22, 2020 11:18 am
By Martin Odiete, Abuja
The much awaited reaction from the National Leader of the All Progressive Congress, Bola Ahmed Tinubu over the establishment of the security outfit, Amotekun by the South West Governors, with the purpose of protecting her people against incessant attack by marauding herdsmen finally came with the former Lagos State Governor saying that there is nothing wrong in the initiative.
However, he maintained that there is urgent need for private discussion between the Governors of the South-west and the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Mallam Abubakar Malami, over Amotekun, All Progressives Congress National Leader, Bola Ahmed Tinubu has said.
According to him, the foundation of the country had not been put at risk with the South-west regional security outfit launched by the governors of the zone in a bit to confront the insecurity in their states.
The former Lagos governor, however, warned that, that fabric could be torn by what he called the “dangerous rhetoric of those who should know better.”
In his first intervention in the controversy surrounding Amotekun, Asiwaju
Tinubu said: “Those claiming that this limited, inoffensive addition to
security threatens the Republic have taken themselves upon a madcap excursion.
“Those claiming that the Federal Government seeks to terribly suppress the
Southwest have also lost their compass. Those who occupy these two extremes
have sunken into the dark recesses of fear and political paranoia that can undo
a nation if such sentiments are allowed to gestate”.
Titled “The Public Discourse Over Amotekun,” the statement personally signed by
him reads: “Amotekun. This issue has dominated recent discourse and media
headlines. Distilled to its basics, it concerns how best state governments can
assist with the safety and security of their residents. This is a matter of
serious concern entitled to sober thought. However, it has been turned into a
political tug-of-war. Fierce, often unthinking rhetoric, for and against, has
crossed the lips of too many Nigerians. More subjective talking than objective
thinking has been the fuel of this outburst.
“Question those in favour of Amotekun. Most have but the vaguest notion about
it. They know few details yet vigorously attribute to its opponents the most
negative intentions. Ask those who oppose Amotekun. They are equally ignorant
of its provisions. They oppose the initiative not on its merits but merely
because it was proposed by their political opponents or because they don’t see
an avenue for personal gain from it.
“While colourful, the rhetoric has been disconcerting. How people have
mishandled this matter demonstrates that we still have far to go in perfecting
this democracy. Too much energy has been spent distorting this issue instead of
seeking a resolution that supports local enhancement of security while keeping
the constitution intact. If this becomes the standard for how we handle
disagreements then we will obscure Nigeria’s path forward with our own rubbish.
“In this matter, I do not see malign intent in the differences of opinion
between the SW Governors as authors of Amotekun and the Attorney-General as the
primary law enforcement officer of the Federal Government. Shorn of the overly
dramatic language, what lies before us is but a step in the evolution of our
federalism. This is an opportunity to more clearly define that federalism; but
one cannot attain this better, more functional definition through overblown,
emotional language. Objectivity and calmness are required. To a significant degree,
the enduring quality of our republic will be established by the sagacity with
which we handle disagreements regarding the division of power between federal
and state governments. Such disagreements are inevitable. This is not the
first. Nor will it be the last. We must devote our energies more toward solving
problems rather than amplifying them.
“Seeking to fulfil their mandates by helping protect their people, the
governors of the Southwest collectively established a program to buttress
existing security mechanisms. Seeking to protect the constitution as best he
could, the Attorney-General offered his opinion on what he believed the
governors have sought to do. No one can blame either party for seeking to
fulfil what they genuinely see as their public duty.
“Until now, I have deliberately maintained a studied silence regarding
Amotekun. Many have tried to goad my swift public reaction. Those who have
taken this road did so not because they care about Amotekun or even the people
it intends to help protect. They did so knowing this had become a delicate and
emotional issue for many. These cynics did so with the adversarial hope that,
in haste, I might misspeak or misstep in a manner they could twist to their
political advantage.
“Such people are possessed of a mercenary aspect that permits them to sacrifice
almost anything, even jeopardize the very foundations of our political unity,
if they might exact personal gain from the upheaval. In that they know no
nobler purpose than their own appetites, we should feel sorry for them.
However, we must not allow our sympathies for their barren condition to
persuade us that there is worth in their destructive misconduct. They must be
left to the consequences of their own devices.
“If truly I am a political leader as I am often described, then I have not the
luxury of hasty, ill-conceived utterances. There are those who will use
inflamed words to spark the passions of others. This may bring transient
applause. But when the cheers fade, we shall only have further descended
because their words were never inclined toward resolution and long-term
improvement but toward short-term popularity and perpetual confrontation.
“I believe in this nation and its benign prospects. I dearly love its people,
all of them. Over the years of our existence, they have suffered much. Yet they
still hold forth with heroic patience and an extraordinary optimism born of
strong faith. To these people I owe my best. I shall not treat them cheaply or
bandy their emotions like some errant football. The welfare of this good and
decent people is my overriding concern.
“Equally, I do not cow to the demands of those who press for me to make a
premature statement on an important issue. Again, that is a game devised by
those who care more about political cleverness than the quality of governance.
I chose to talk when my position has been made ripe by a collection of the
facts and a reasonable assessment of those facts.
“As I view it, this matter can be divided in three major parts: 1) Substantive
merits of Amotekun, 2) Decision-making and consultative process and 3)
Recommendations on the way forward.
AMOTEKUN, GOVERNORS AND SECURITY
“As the highest elected official in his state and thus the individual
embodiment of the will of the people, a governor must view safety and security
as a foremost priority, integral to his mandate. To turn a blind eye to these
concerns would be a grave dereliction. That the SW Governors seek to work
together to complement the extant security architecture is, in principle, a
commendable undertaking. In embracing this concept, they have acted in
consonance with spirit of their offices for the better interests of their
people.
“As Governor of Lagos State, I confronted a burgeoning criminal menace. I could
not sit idly in the face of the violence and property destruction that struck
genuine fear in the hearts of the people. The police tried as best they could;
but their coverage was thin. They simply did not have the personnel or material
wherewithal to be everywhere at once. We formed Neighbourhood Watch to help
fill the gap.
“Our aim was not to replace existing structures but to complement and augment
them. The mission of Neighbourhood Watch was to monitor the wards and
neighbourhoods of the state. The group would gather information and
intelligence to pass to the police and security authorities. The Neighbourhood
Watch also provided an early warning system to keep citizens from harm’s way.
The idea worked. Crime and violence reduced significantly. Even the
overreaching Obasanjo government did not contend against Neighbourhood Watch.
“Judging from the public statements of the governors, Amotekun is meant to be
structured along similar lines. As I understand it, Amotekun is to be
another set of eyes and ears to assist the police. As such, it is but the
second generation of Neighbourhood Watch expanded to a regional scale.
Conceptually, there is nothing wrong with this. It does not appear to insult
the constitution. However, my position regarding Amotekun is not blind or
uncritical; there are several organisational and functional aspects of the
proposal that could cause some problems if left unresolved.
“First, the stated mission is information gathering by civilians. Such tasks
are always and everywhere best done in low-key fashion. Some aspects of
Amotekun seem to undermine rather than enhance this function.
Second, equipping Amotekun with showy paraphernalia may cause the public to
misconstrue the role of Amotekun, incorrectly believing its mandate is more
expansive than it is. This possible disconnect could impede the good aims of
the program.
“We also should consider that the Buhari administration has approved
implementation of a policy of community policing wherein additional recruits
from all 774 local government areas will be added to the force to help protect
their own communities. As the Federal Government emphasizes grassroots policing
it is uncertain how well Amotekun can complement the police force as the force
moves toward greater decentralisation when Amotekun is organisationally leaning
in the opposite way.
“We have been fighting for local and decentralised policing for a long time
because we know that too much centralisation impedes performance. In regard to
actual performance of its appointed tasks, Amotekun should have focused on
grassroots local organisation at the state level without a regional command
hierarchy. The regional approach may undermine efficiency. There is no
compelling logic why the same personnel providing security & informational
assistance in Ado-Ekiti should be under the same functional and operational
leadership as those providing assistance in Lekki or Akure. This will not lead
to optimal performance.
“The regional approach has only limited benefit with regard to the procurement
and maintenance of vehicles and communications equipment because this wider
approach allows for economies of scale. The regional approach also helps tackle
the growing incidences of interstate criminal activity. Some things need to be
corrected before Amotekun becomes operational. If not, it will not live up to
expectations. Thus, the current formulation of Amotekun is in need of repair
before it takes to the road only to quickly slip into a ditch.
CONSULTATIVE PROCESS BREAKS DOWN
“The governors state that they consulted regularly with the police and security
agencies. This was the right thing to do. However, their failure to
include the office of the Attorney-General in these discussions is the fount of
the current public uproar. This was an unfortunate omission the governors
should regret and seek to remedy. However, the conceptual merits and positive
functional aspects of Amotekun should not be tainted by this procedural defect.
“While the Attorney-General is a conscientious public servant, he is also
human. Not having been consulted, he was suddenly faced with an unexpected
public announcement regarding a matter within his official ambit. He likely
feared the failure to consult him meant that federal prerogatives were being
encroached. To blame him for this conclusion would be to blame human nature
itself. Though his negative reaction was understandable it was also unhelpful.
“The Attorney-General acted hastily in rendering a public statement that was
more inaccurate than it should have been. Amotekun was never proposed as a
“defence” agency; the Attorney-General erred in using this description. The use
of uniforms and brightly coloured vehicles may not be the best ideas but they
do not render Amotekun a defence agency or paramilitary group any more than a
designated school van carrying uniformed students constitutes a paramilitary
deployment.
“Believing the governors had crossed the line, the Attorney-General should have
reached out to them. Before going public, he should have sought a private
meeting so that he could have a better factual understanding of Amotekun. This
would have enabled him to give the governors any specific constitutional or
other objectives he might have. In this way, the two sides would have engaged
in private consultations to reach agreement on the way forward. This
cooperative process might have helped to correct some of the organisational
lapses above identified. Such a diplomatic and wise step also would have
prevented the current public acrimony now surrounding the issue.
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR RESOLUTION
“This matter cannot be resolved on the pages of newspapers or by attributing
negative motives to either side. The best way to resolve this is still for the
two sides to enter private discussions. Either the governors should seek an
official but private meeting with the Attorney-General, or the Attorney-General
can initiate the contact. Since Amotekun is their initiative, the governors
bear the greater onus in seeking the meeting.
“The meeting will initiate further discussion on how to resolve what appears to
be a misunderstanding caused by an unfortunate lack of communication. Remedy
the gap in communication and the misunderstanding will begin to disappear.
Last, I again stress to well-intentioned Nigerians to shun those who employ
heated language to inflame emotions. It does us no good to rush toward
exaggerated statements that suggest calamity of the highest order. Don’t allow
yourselves to be fodder for those who seek to divide us.
“The fabric of the Republic has not been put at stake by Amotekun. However,
that fabric could be torn by the dangerous rhetoric of those who should know
better. Those claiming that this limited, inoffensive addition to security
threatens the Republic have taken themselves upon a madcap excursion. Those
claiming that the Federal Government seeks to terribly suppress the Southwest
have also lost their compass. Those who occupy these two extremes have sunken
into the dark recesses of fear and political paranoia that can undo a nation if
such sentiments are allowed to gestate.
“We are one nation, 200 million strong with 36 states and a great complex of
federal authority residing in dozens of federal ministries and agencies. If
everyone is allowed their democratic expression, there are bound to be
disagreements. This is inherent in the federal structure. Nations that have
practiced federalism much longer than us still frequently debate over where the
line between state and federal power is to be drawn. They have hundreds of
court cases each year on this very issue. Yet they do not attack each other as
we do. We must all learn to be more restrained and judicious in our
reactions when such disagreements arise.
“Before leaping from our seats to lift our voice to the high rafters in
profound indignation, we first would be wise to properly discern the situation.
We must ascertain whether it merely is a tempest in a teapot or whether our
house and all its teapots are swirling in a real tempest. Despite the ominous
headlines and heated talk, an objective analysis points more clearly to the
former than the latter. The resolution of this matter is not beyond us if only
we allow ourselves to be the democrats that our better conscience and the very
documents of our national existence call us to be.
“In trying to help resolve this matter, I have initiated communication with the
Chairman of the South West Governors’ Forum, Arakunrin Rotimi Akeredolu, with a
view to meeting the South West governors to explore amicable solutions to the
avoidable controversy. I am sure that, at the end of it all, peace, security,
and progress shall reign in our nation. Thank you.”
Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu
National Leader, APC
Source URL: https://theajasanews.com/finally-tinubu-backs-amotekun-but/
Copyright ©2025 TheAjasaNews unless otherwise noted.