Razaq Bamidele
Traditional rulers, in Ekiti State, on Thursday, lauded the state government’s approach to the recruitment of personnel into the State Amotekun Corps.
The monarchs also gave an assurance to support the security outfit in achieving its goal of tackling kidnapping, cattle rustling, robbery and other nefarious activities in the state.
Speaking during a sensitisation meeting of the governing board of Amotekun in Ikole, Oye and Ilejemeje local governments areas the Chairman of the Traditional Council of Oye Local Government and the immediate past Chairman of Traditional Council in the State, Oba Oluwole Ademolaju, said the engagement of traditional rulers in the recruitment exercise was a repeat of history that guarantee the victory of Ekiti people during the intra tribal ‘Kiriji’ war’ of 1877.
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Oba Ademolaju assured that traditional rulers in Yoruba land would give adequate support that would make Amotekun achieve the purpose of its establishment.
The Monarch said, “When we talk of security and now that the contact is being made through the Obas; history is only repeating itself. It has happened in the year 1877, during the intra tribal ‘Kiriji’ war. We gathered people like this and got them donated to the Central Army of Ekiti and they faced Ibadan and they conquered them.
“Giving Obas the free hand in the selection of these people who are going to help now is just a repeat of what actually happened then and by this extension, surely success is ours.
“Yoruba Obas will support the Amotekun to achieve success.we will empower them like we empowered the people that fought ‘Kiriji’ war.”
Also, the Obanla of Ijesha Isu, Oba Gabriel Oso, who spoke on behalf of the monarchs in Ikole Local Government explained that the traditional rulers were ready to abide with the rules that guide the recommendation of applicants for recruitment into the security outfit.
This, the monarch said, was necessary for the security outfit to achieve the desired goal of recruiting personnel of impeccable character.
Supporting the justification for the establishment of the corps, Oba Oso explained that the need to complement efforts of the established security agencies in the country necessitated the establishment of an indigenous security outfit that would curb insecurity at the grassroots and secure the lives of the people in the state.
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According to him, “The traditional rulers are more than prepared to take the requirements of the group, abide with them and supply them the needed requirements.
“Essentially if the powers that be cannot provide us the required security, there is no sin in giving ourselves that security.
“It is not against the law, so we are prepared to follow what the group has said in order to achieve the desired goals of giving our people the required security.”
Earlier, chairman of the Amotekun Board, Mr. Akin Aregbesola, said the visit was to sensitize the monarchs on the procedures guiding the recruitment process, their roles in recommending applicants to the board and the operations of the Amotekun Corps.
Speaking on the recruitment process, the Commandant of Amotekun Corps, Brig.-Gen. Joe Komolafe (rtd) disclosed that measures had been put in place to ensure that all the local governments in the State had equal representation in the outfit.
The Corps Commandant noted that the recruitment exercise is gender sensitive, making it accessible to both male and female between the age of 18 and 60 years.
Clarifying that being a member of hunter’s association, vigilante groups and Odua people’s congress does not guarantee automatic employment into the outfit, Brig-Gen. Komolafe (rtd) explained, however that members of such organisations with proven record of integrity stand better chances than other applicants who are inexperienced in native security matters.
He described Amotekun as an home grown outfit in the Southwest, designed to gather intelligence and pass it to appropriate quarters as at when due, for it to be timely acted upon.
Komolafe added that the outfit would operate to address the security challenges that is peculiar to the South West region of the country.