Major General David Jemibewon (rtd), a former Minister of Police Affairs and Military Governor of defunct Western state in this interview, speaks on latest issues in the polity such as Operation Amotekun controversy, 2023 Presidency, The Nigerian Civil war and other matters of national interests. TEMIDAYO AKINSUYI presents the excerpts:

One of the talking points in Nigeria is the establishment of a security outfit known as Amotekun by the South West region. The Federal Government declared it illegal and it has been generating a lot of controversy; what is your take on that?

I don’t know more than what I have read in the papers but I do not see why it should generate controversy. If people have a problem, they then look at how they can solve the problem and they came out with an idea of how they can help themselves. It was not established to compete with the Nigerian police. Honestly, I think the organisation they are trying to put in place would be supporting the police. I am not too sure if any individual or organisation needs to ask for permission to be responsible for his own security as long as it does not conflict with any other person’s plans for his own security. The main purpose of government is the protection of lives of citizens and their properties. From what we read in the papers, killings and kidnapping have been going on and in fact, I feel that such an organisation could have been established long ago. I know how government operates. The South West government could not have just woken up and started establishing the security outfit without having discussed it at certain level, even if for contribution of ideas. I am not too sure that the way some of us heard about it is exactly the way the Federal Government heard about it. I am sure the Federal Government must have known of the plans and how the effort progressed before they announced the establishment of the organisation. They just reduce things to Boy Scouts way of doing things but even the Boy Scouts are organised. They do not go to camping without planning for it. I don’t see it as something that should be generating controversy. It is basic and elementary that if what ought to be done had been done, and people took responsibility, the arguments and uproar that trailed it should not have been so.

Do you agree with those who say that the establishment of Amotekun has kickstarted the long-awaited restructuring of the federation?

I do not think that reasoning along those lines is logical. As I said, we have state governments and what is the purpose of governments? What of a man who just builds a house, he has a gate and he employs a gateman? Why does he put a gateman? And in some cases for example, if you go round Lagos and in particular GRA, those people we refer to as big men, they even have police security; and they do not even hold any position in government just because perhaps, they can pay for police services. So, how do you explain that? You have some people travelling on highways and they have police escorts and they are not government officials.

How do you see the position of the Miyetti Alah Kautal Hore who are of the view that herders are the target of Amotekun?

Government is such a powerful organisation and it has better means of collecting information than any individual or group of people. So, some of the things you as an individual or a group of people could complain about, government is already aware. How did Miyetti Allah come to the conclusion that, that is what they would use Amotekun for? If they say Amotekun is aimed at them, a security organisation was established purposely for them, then it means that they know that what they are doing is wrong. Would you say because certain groups of people feel that police would be used to arrest them, then police should not be established in their own zone or local area?. If a group for instance somewhere in Agege has been creating problems and harassing people and those people come together and make requests for police presence, can the Miyetti Allah come and say they are requesting for police presence, would they say they requested police to attack them. Why do they do those things that would make the police attack them?

Considering the challenges facing Nigeria, if by chance you meet President Buhari today, what advice would you give him to make Nigeria better?

This is difficult. All the institutions put in place to make government effective, he should try to put people who are competent and willing to interpret the laws and regulations to meet the intention of creating those organisations. It is so difficult to put it in words but let us come out with principles that are necessary for running organisations and stick to those principles, rather than deviating from them for whatever reasons. Personally, I can claim that I knew Present Buhari very well. No one individual can run a government. President Buhari had always been a principled man when we were still in the Army and you can be sure that he would do justice in all situations. But from the way things are happening now and from complaints of the majority of the population, it appears that many things are happening without his knowledge. It is so difficult for those of us who know him very well to believe that some decisions we read in the newspapers could happen under him like the issue of Amotekun. By the way Buhari operates, he should not have allowed it to become a general commodity. My advice to him if I have chance to meet him, is that I would say your Excellency, let your appointees base their judgements on equity and justice to all Nigerians. He should do a survey and ensure that his appointees should be those who believe in his principles. He should go for people who are detribalized; those who see Nigeria as one entity, their constituency and country. There are many Nigerians who do not care where one comes from; that one is from the East, West, Noarth or anywhere, I don’t care because I see myself as a Nigerian.
https://www.independent.ng/many-things-are-happening-in-presidency-without-buharis-knowledge-jemibewon/

Lifeless Man!!! Yeye Bello is also fucking his wife without his knowledge.

Only a fool and BMC miscreants would think otherwise.

Mtcheew...radarada

This one is not new nah.A man that went to the grave to disturb the dead by appointing them into government & was even telling a bewildered nation that he is shocked that BH is still wreaking havoc?