Priscilla Ofunre, Ado-Ekiti
Ekiti State deputy governor, Otunba Bisi Egbeyemi, has called for the support of traditional rulers and the people in the grassroots to combat kidnapping and all forms of criminalities in the state.
While urging all to be part of the fight, Egbeyemi said security was everybody’s business and should not be left in the hands of the government alone hence the need for residents to always assist to fight crime by freely giving information to government and security agencies.
Speaking, on Thursday, while receiving the traditional rulers under the aegis of the Majority Obas of Ekiti Land (MOBEL), he also enjoined the people of the state to be more security conscious.
According to a statement by the Special Assistant (Media) to the deputy governor, Odunayo Ogunmola, the MOBEL monarchs were led to the meeting by their Chairman who is also the Olowa of Odo Owa Ekiti, Oba Ayorinde Oyedeji.
The deputy governor noted that traditional rulers and their subjects can assist to tackle insecurity by reporting activities of strange
individuals and movements in their localities to the appropriate political and security authorities for necessary action.
Egbeyemi advised the traditional rulers to forward a joint memo to the state government on modalities to tackle kidnapping and criminalities and issues bordering on security in their palaces.
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Responding to one of the requests of the monarchs, Egbeyemi explained that the military men earlier withdrawn from their checkpoints in the state are now back to their beats in a bid to check insecurity adding that government has the intention to request for more soldiers to man the highways.
The Deputy Governor further disclosed that the Panel on Boundary Disputes had already swung into action in a bid to resolve conflicts on boundaries among communities in the state.
While noting that the panel is currently looking into not less than six cases, Egbeyemi advised communities having boundary conflicts to bring their cases before the panel to ensure peaceful resolution of such crises.
The MOBEL Chairman, Oba Ayorinde Oyedeji, said the monarchs are concerned with the upsurge of kidnapping in Yoruba land calling on the governors in the Southwest to do everything possible to halt the trend.
Oba Oyedeji declared the readiness of the royal fathers to assist the government fight kidnapping and other violent crimes with the use of traditional hunters and local vigilantes.
Requests tabled by the MOBEL monarchs include payment of their three-month arrears of salaries, the slashing of their allowances by the immediate past administration and construction of their secretariat in Ado Ekiti, the state capital.
Other requests are taking over of the welfare of the palace staff by the local governments, procurement of new official vehicles for them, resolution of boundary disputes in their domains, enhancement of
security in their palaces among others.
The monarchs also congratulated Governor Kayode Fayemi on his election as the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF).