₦airaland Forum

All Progressives Congress stalwart, Bola Tinubu, says the South-West Security Network codenamed ‘Operation Amotekun’ is a laudable initiative but needs some operational and conceptual modifications or else it will fail.

Tinubu said this in a statement on Wednesday, days after coming under intense criticism for failing to speak on the matter, The PUNCH reports.

The former governor of Lagos State, who is rumoured to be nursing a Presidential ambition, refused to take sides on the matter.

He wrote, “As I understand it, Amotekun is to be another set of eyes and ears to assist the police. As such, it is but the second generation of Neighbourhood Watch expanded to a regional scale. Conceptually, there is nothing wrong with this. It does not appear to insult the constitution.

“However, my position regarding Amotekun is not blind or uncritical; there are several organisational and functional aspects of the proposal that could cause some problems if left unresolved.”

Tinubu said Amotekun should have been fashioned to the peculiarities of each state rather than having a regional structure.

He wrote, “Amotekun should have focused on grassroots local organisation at the state level without a regional command hierarchy. The regional approach may undermine efficiency. There is no compelling logic why the same personnel providing security informational assistance in Ado-Ekiti should be under the same functional and operational leadership as those providing assistance in Lekki or Akure. This will not lead to optimal performance.

“The regional approach has only limited benefit with regard to the procurement and maintenance of vehicles and communications equipment because this wider approach allows for economies of scale.

“The regional approach also helps tackle the growing incidences of interstate criminal activity. Some things need to be corrected before Amotekun becomes operational. If not, it will not live up to expectations. Thus, the current formulation of Amotekun is in need of repair before it takes to the road only to quickly slip into a ditch.”

He criticised the South-West governors and the Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami (SAN), for the controversy over the initiative, which is heating the polity.

The APC leader said the governors should have consulted the AGF when the organisation was being formed.

Tinubu, however, criticised Malami for issuing a statement condemning the initiative when he could have simply reached out to them and handled it internally and more amicably.

He added, “The governors state that they consulted regularly with the police and security agencies. This was the right thing to do. However, their failure to include the office of the Attorney-General in these discussions is the fount of the current public uproar. This was an unfortunate omission the governors should regret and seek to remedy. However, the conceptual merits and positive functional aspects of Amotekun should not be tainted by this procedural defect.

“While the Attorney-General is a conscientious public servant, he is also human. Not having been consulted, he was suddenly faced with an unexpected public announcement regarding a matter within his official ambit. He likely feared the failure to consult him meant that federal prerogatives were being encroached. To blame him for this conclusion would be to blame human nature itself. Though his negative reaction was understandable it was also unhelpful.

“The Attorney-General acted hastily in rendering a public statement that was more inaccurate than it should have been. Amotekun was never proposed as a ‘defence’ agency; the Attorney-General erred in using this description. The use of uniforms and brightly coloured vehicles may not be the best ideas but they do not render Amotekun a defence agency or paramilitary group any more than a designated school van carrying uniformed students constitutes a paramilitary deployment.”

He said in the coming days, he would meet with the Ondo State Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu (SAN), who is also the Chairman, South-West Governors Forum, on how best to implement the Amotekun initiative.

Righteousness89:
I don't seem to understand..

Is Asiwaju Talking with both sides of His mouth?

It's Highly dangerous to be in the Middle..

Righteousness89:
I don't seem to understand..

Is Asiwaju Talking with both sides of His mouth?

It's Highly dangerous to be in the Middle..

A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.-James 1:8

SweetLove0:
2023 on his mind. Fear of the north.

DONSMITH123:
That's politics for you bruh

Righteousness89:
My Brother , A time comes when politics is takes the back seat and Reasoning takes the Front!

Mynd44:
https://www.nairaland.com/5645283/tinubu-breaks-silence-amotekun-says

Iamgrey5:
It is not exactly the same thing.

This is a continuation of his shameful statement

SweetLove0:
walahi....disappointed in that old man called Tinubu

omoharry:
I think he is stylishly supporting Amotekun but does not want to make his stand on the matter very obvious.

jayfolarin:
Tinubu disappoints me sha. He really isn't coming across as progressive as I had been led to believe.

He was a different guy in nadeco. Now he just wants to be politically correct.

Dissapointing

omoharry:
I think he is stylishly supporting Amotekun but does not want to make his stand on the matter very obvious.

DONSMITH123:
Any Yoruba leader that is silent on Amotekun is a traitor.

Mynd44:
https://www.nairaland.com/5645283/tinubu-breaks-silence-amotekun-says

AMOTEKUN, GOVERNORS AND SECURITY

“As the highest elected official in his state and thus the individual embodiment of the will of the people, a governor must view safety and security as a foremost priority, integral to his mandate. To turn a blind eye to these concerns would be a grave dereliction. That the SW Governors seek to work together to complement the extant security architecture is, in principle, a commendable undertaking. In embracing this concept, they have acted in consonance with spirit of their offices for the better interests of their people.

“As Governor of Lagos State, I confronted a burgeoning criminal menace. I could not sit idly in the face of the violence and property destruction that struck genuine fear in the hearts of the people. The police tried as best they could; but their coverage was thin. They simply did not have the personnel or material wherewithal to be everywhere at once. We formed Neighbourhood Watch to help fill the gap.

“Our aim was not to replace existing structures but to complement and augment them. The mission of Neighbourhood Watch was to monitor the wards and neighbourhoods of the state. The group would gather information and intelligence to pass to the police and security authorities. The Neighbourhood Watch also provided an early warning system to keep citizens from harm’s way. The idea worked. Crime and violence reduced significantly. Even the overreaching Obasanjo government did not contend against Neighbourhood Watch.

“Judging from the public statements of the governors, Amotekun is meant to be structured along similar lines. As I understand it, Amotekun is to be another set of eyes and ears to assist the police. As such, it is but the second generation of Neighbourhood Watch expanded to a regional scale. Conceptually, there is nothing wrong with this. It does not appear to insult the constitution. However, my position regarding Amotekun is not blind or uncritical; there are several organisational and functional aspects of the proposal that could cause some problems if left unresolved.

“First, the stated mission is information gathering by civilians. Such tasks are always and everywhere best done in low-key fashion. Some aspects of Amotekun seem to undermine rather than enhance this function.

Second, equipping Amotekun with showy paraphernalia may cause the public to misconstrue the role of Amotekun, incorrectly believing its mandate is more expansive than it is. This possible disconnect could impede the good aims of the program.

“We also should consider that the Buhari administration has approved implementation of a policy of community policing wherein additional recruits from all 774 local government areas will be added to the force to help protect their own communities. As the Federal Government emphasizes grassroots policing it is uncertain how well Amotekun can complement the police force as the force moves toward greater decentralisation when Amotekun is organisationally leaning in the opposite way.

“We have been fighting for local and decentralised policing for a long time because we know that too much centralisation impedes performance. In regard to actual performance of its appointed tasks, Amotekun should have focused on grassroots local organisation at the state level without a regional command hierarchy. The regional approach may undermine efficiency. There is no compelling logic why the same personnel providing security & informational assistance in Ado-Ekiti should be under the same functional and operational leadership as those providing assistance in Lekki or Akure. This will not lead to optimal performance.

“The regional approach has only limited benefit with regard to the procurement and maintenance of vehicles and communications equipment because this wider approach allows for economies of scale. The regional approach also helps tackle the growing incidences of interstate criminal activity. Some things need to be corrected before Amotekun becomes operational. If not, it will not live up to expectations. Thus, the current formulation of Amotekun is in need of repair before it takes to the road only to quickly slip into a ditch.

CONSULTATIVE PROCESS BREAKS DOWN

“The governors state that they consulted regularly with the police and security agencies. This was the right thing to do. However, their failure to include the office of the Attorney-General in these discussions is the fount of the current public uproar. This was an unfortunate omission the governors should regret and seek to remedy. However, the conceptual merits and positive functional aspects of Amotekun should not be tainted by this procedural defect.

“While the Attorney-General is a conscientious public servant, he is also human. Not having been consulted, he was suddenly faced with an unexpected public announcement regarding a matter within his official ambit. He likely feared the failure to consult him meant that federal prerogatives were being encroached. To blame him for this conclusion would be to blame human nature itself. Though his negative reaction was understandable it was also unhelpful.

“The Attorney-General acted hastily in rendering a public statement that was more inaccurate than it should have been. Amotekun was never proposed as a “defence” agency; the Attorney-General erred in using this description. The use of uniforms and brightly coloured vehicles may not be the best ideas but they do not render Amotekun a defence agency or paramilitary group any more than a designated school van carrying uniformed students constitutes a paramilitary deployment.

“Believing the governors had crossed the line, the Attorney-General should have reached out to them. Before going public, he should have sought a private meeting so that he could have a better factual understanding of Amotekun. This would have enabled him to give the governors any specific constitutional or other objectives he might have. In this way, the two sides would have engaged in private consultations to reach agreement on the way forward. This cooperative process might have helped to correct some of the organisational lapses above identified. Such a diplomatic and wise step also would have prevented the current public acrimony now surrounding the issue.

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR RESOLUTION

“This matter cannot be resolved on the pages of newspapers or by attributing negative motives to either side. The best way to resolve this is still for the two sides to enter private discussions. Either the governors should seek an official but private meeting with the Attorney-General, or the Attorney-General can initiate the contact. Since Amotekun is their initiative, the governors bear the greater onus in seeking the meeting.

“The meeting will initiate further discussion on how to resolve what appears to be a misunderstanding caused by an unfortunate lack of communication. Remedy the gap in communication and the misunderstanding will begin to disappear.

Last, I again stress to well-intentioned Nigerians to shun those who employ heated language to inflame emotions. It does us no good to rush toward exaggerated statements that suggest calamity of the highest order. Don’t allow yourselves to be fodder for those who seek to divide us.

“The fabric of the Republic has not been put at stake by Amotekun. However, that fabric could be torn by the dangerous rhetoric of those who should know better. Those claiming that this limited, inoffensive addition to security threatens the Republic have taken themselves upon a madcap excursion. Those claiming that the Federal Government seeks to terribly suppress the Southwest have also lost their compass. Those who occupy these two extremes have sunken into the dark recesses of fear and political paranoia that can undo a nation if such sentiments are allowed to gestate.

“We are one nation, 200 million strong with 36 states and a great complex of federal authority residing in dozens of federal ministries and agencies. If everyone is allowed their democratic expression, there are bound to be disagreements. This is inherent in the federal structure. Nations that have practiced federalism much longer than us still frequently debate over where the line between state and federal power is to be drawn. They have hundreds of court cases each year on this very issue. Yet they do not attack each other as we do. We must all learn to be more restrained and judicious in our reactions when such disagreements arise.

“Before leaping from our seats to lift our voice to the high rafters in profound indignation, we first would be wise to properly discern the situation. We must ascertain whether it merely is a tempest in a teapot or whether our house and all its teapots are swirling in a real tempest. Despite the ominous headlines and heated talk, an objective analysis points more clearly to the former than the latter. The resolution of this matter is not beyond us if only we allow ourselves to be the democrats that our better conscience and the very documents of our national existence call us to be.

“In trying to help resolve this matter, I have initiated communication with the Chairman of the South West Governors’ Forum, Arakunrin Rotimi Akeredolu, with a view to meeting the South West governors to explore amicable solutions to the avoidable controversy. I am sure that, at the end of it all, peace, security, and progress shall reign in our nation. Thank you.”

AtikuNetwork:
The Op's updated version from Punch can be misleading because it does not include the complete text of Tinubu's submission, rather it only removes inflammatory aspect and amplifies them for sentimental reaction purposes. The full text of Tinubu's release is on the nation website. It is longer and more complete than the Punch released versions.

https://thenationonlineng.net/breaking-finally-tinubu-clears-the-air-on-amotekun/

DONSMITH123:
Did he made the statement? YES or NO?

AtikuNetwork:
What you put up there can easily be taken out of context if one does not have the full facts of what he actually said. Here is the full version that was either deliberately left out by punch or omitted:



https://thenationonlineng.net/breaking-finally-tinubu-clears-the-air-on-amotekun/

Righteousness89:
Life is a Mystery.. with the sort of Mindset, it will Highly difficult to attain that position...

You don't need to be Enemies with anyone but you stand firm on what is right!!

DONSMITH123:
All Progressives Congress stalwart, Bola Tinubu, says the South-West Security Network codenamed ‘Operation Amotekun’ is a laudable initiative but needs some operational and conceptual modifications or else it will fail.

Tinubu said this in a statement on Wednesday, days after coming under intense criticism for failing to speak on the matter, The PUNCH reports.

The former governor of Lagos State, who is rumoured to be nursing a Presidential ambition, refused to take sides on the matter.

He wrote, “As I understand it, Amotekun is to be another set of eyes and ears to assist the police. As such, it is but the second generation of Neighbourhood Watch expanded to a regional scale. Conceptually, there is nothing wrong with this. It does not appear to insult the constitution.

“However, my position regarding Amotekun is not blind or uncritical; there are several organisational and functional aspects of the proposal that could cause some problems if left unresolved.”

Tinubu said Amotekun should have been fashioned to the peculiarities of each state rather than having a regional structure.

He wrote, “Amotekun should have focused on grassroots local organisation at the state level without a regional command hierarchy. The regional approach may undermine efficiency. There is no compelling logic why the same personnel providing security informational assistance in Ado-Ekiti should be under the same functional and operational leadership as those providing assistance in Lekki or Akure. This will not lead to optimal performance.

“The regional approach has only limited benefit with regard to the procurement and maintenance of vehicles and communications equipment because this wider approach allows for economies of scale.

“The regional approach also helps tackle the growing incidences of interstate criminal activity. Some things need to be corrected before Amotekun becomes operational. If not, it will not live up to expectations. Thus, the current formulation of Amotekun is in need of repair before it takes to the road only to quickly slip into a ditch.”

He criticised the South-West governors and the Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami (SAN), for the controversy over the initiative, which is heating the polity.

The APC leader said the governors should have consulted the AGF when the organisation was being formed.

Tinubu, however, criticised Malami for issuing a statement condemning the initiative when he could have simply reached out to them and handled it internally and more amicably.

He added, “The governors state that they consulted regularly with the police and security agencies. This was the right thing to do. However, their failure to include the office of the Attorney-General in these discussions is the fount of the current public uproar. This was an unfortunate omission the governors should regret and seek to remedy. However, the conceptual merits and positive functional aspects of Amotekun should not be tainted by this procedural defect.

“While the Attorney-General is a conscientious public servant, he is also human. Not having been consulted, he was suddenly faced with an unexpected public announcement regarding a matter within his official ambit. He likely feared the failure to consult him meant that federal prerogatives were being encroached. To blame him for this conclusion would be to blame human nature itself. Though his negative reaction was understandable it was also unhelpful.

“The Attorney-General acted hastily in rendering a public statement that was more inaccurate than it should have been. Amotekun was never proposed as a ‘defence’ agency; the Attorney-General erred in using this description. The use of uniforms and brightly coloured vehicles may not be the best ideas but they do not render Amotekun a defence agency or paramilitary group any more than a designated school van carrying uniformed students constitutes a paramilitary deployment.”

He said in the coming days, he would meet with the Ondo State Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu (SAN), who is also the Chairman, South-West Governors Forum, on how best to implement the Amotekun initiative.

https://punchng.com/updated-amotekun-doomed-to-fail-if-tinubu/

DONSMITH123:
Mr!!! I don't drop news here without a source.

AtikuNetwork:
Why are you getting agitated? I said that the Punch newspaper that is your source did not present its report based on the full facts. The Tinubu in question has his own newspaper where he published the full report of his statement and I presented that instead. It seems you are mischievously trying to promote a narrative that is based on a your own political position if not you won't be getting angry over nothing.