The recent happening in some of our towns and major Cities in worrisome, it’s becoming a great threat to our social and economic survival as a people and region of Oyo state and Nigeria nation. The spate of kidnapping, ritual activities and abuse of fundamental human rights by a section of security operative attached to Oke-Ogun region is worrisome.
Recently, Iseyin alone have witnessed two cases of kidnapping in less than a month. It’s not a gainsaying that our developing economy might get back to her absymal level if current challenges are not permanently addressed by all stakeholders. Iseyin as the most viable economy in all town and cities of Oke-Ogun is being confronted with kidnapping by armed bandits, situation that might forced investors (Indigenous and non-indigenous ) to take to their heels.
Ritual killing and exhumations of human body for ritual is another moral issue confronting our land, this immortality is begging for correction from both traditional leaders and rules as well religious leaders in our communities, this should be identified and confronted before it reach nextdoor or my immediate neighbors.
Security agencies are hereby implored to maintain their core standards of engagement and procedures, most importantly events that has to do with civilians such as farmers, illiterates and our drivers and motorcyclists and other downtrodden. The idea of using their conditions and level of exposure to extort them must be stop forthwith.
Politicians in government and those outside the current government should show more concerns and commitments to the plights and welfares of those people they are planing to govern. As we move closer to election years and days talks, programmes and promises should centred on security and some other issues affecting our people and region. They must have it in mind that government is only for the people and the so called people interest must be paramount than individual interest of politicians and political parties.
While we commend the government of the day in Oyo state for measure put in place to steam the tide of insecurity in the last 2 years, it’s glaring the current reality has go beyond those measures, we hereby appeal by this medium for more improvement and follow up by necessary agencies of government, this will ensure that the government investment on security is yelding desire results. Additional security post and officers, intelligent information and gardening is needed to combat these armed kidnappers who are bent on destroying the government and people of oke-Ogun region.
Officers of the Department of State Security service should do more to ensure proper intelligence information with collaborative efforts from other security agencies. Iseyin and Oke-Ogun must not surrendered to kidnappers the way some regions in Ekiti and Ondo did.
This is a wake up call on government, indigens, non- Indigens, well to do, politicians, religious organizations, traditional leaders and rules and every others to sphere no efforts and resources to ensure a secure Oke-Ogun region before it late.
Ismail Alani
For Alliance for Oke-Ogun Development.