GOVERNOR Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State and President Muhammadu Buhari have scheduled a meeting for later today to thrash out the dynamics of the regional security outfit Amotekun that has been launched in southwest Nigeria.
Last month, the six governors of the southwest geo-political launched Amotekun amid a lot of fanfare in Ibadan. At the event, where the Ooni of Ife Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi was the guest speaker, the six governors unveiled the project and donated vehicles, communication equipment and uniforms to Amotekun officials.
However, there was initial opposition to the scheme by the federal government, with the attorney-general of the federation Abubakar Malami declaring that Amotekun was illegal. However, after a meeting with the governors that was presided over by vice president Professor Yemi Osinbajo, the federal government relented and agreed to recognise Amotekun as a necessary security operation.
Plans are now afoot to get the houses of assemblies of the six states to pass legislation that will give Amotekun legal backing. Governor Akeredolu, in his capacity as the chairman of the South West Governors Forum, will be meeting with President Buhari today to explain the modalities of how this will work.
On Friday, January 24, Governor Akeredolu told reporters in Abuja that he and his colleagues would meet with the president to explain the Amotekun to him. Like his colleagues, Governor Akeredolu hopes that after the meeting, any opposition to the initiative will end, especially among socio-cultural groups across northern Nigeria.
