Yoruba Nation: Invaders met superior powers – Makinde

 

…says Oyo state will spare no resources to guarantee safety

 

Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State on Monday, April 15, said that the hoodlums that stormed the state secretariat on Saturday met what was beyond their imagination when they stormed the place.

He assured that the state would spare no resources to ensure a safe and secure environment for the people.

He thanked the security operatives for their promptness when the response procedure was activated, noting that the promptness quickly stemmed the incident in the quickest possible time.

Makinde spoke while playing host to the new General Officer Commanding (GOC), 2Div of the Nigerian Army, Major General Obinna Onubogu in his office.

However, the governor acknowledged that it is a trying time for all leaders across all facets of the country, saying leaders must think beyond kinetic response to such measures that will result in peace.

He said the leadership must win the war against all challenges while also not losing peace.

Makinde said: “On Saturday, the emergency security response procured was activated and it actually worked. There are gaps really but the response was quick.

“The hoodlums met what was beyond their imagination and within an hour, everything was under control.

“I on behalf of the Oyo state government and people of the state thank all security agencies including the Police, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Department of State Service (DSS), Nigerian Army, Operation Burst, Amotekun and others as everyone responded timely.

“We are indeed grateful for the timely response as it helped to calm the situation within a short time. Most of the things we have been doing jointly with the 2Div will continue.”

He also used the opportunity to appeal to the Chief of Army Staff and the leadership to always allow personnel to have more time to work in their post so that the leaders won’t have to struggle to settle and work with new people every time.

He said he has had to work with five GOCs within the last five years of his administration, adding that he is unsure of how many more he would have to work with before his tenure ends, a situation which he said could be better if the GOCs spend time on the ground.

“We must win the war but we must also win the peace. It is a challenging period that anyone in a position of leadership either military or political, even community leadership are challenged at this time.

“As a community leader, you have people who are hungry and angry. We have to come together to see how we can minimise the agents of destabilisation.

 

“We must not think only of the kinetic responses but also things that we have to do to win peace. Progress can only be made in an atmosphere of peace and stability.

“As an administration, we will spare no resources to ensure we have a safe and secure environment”, Makinde added.

Speaking earlier, the GOC 2Div, Major General Obinna Onubogu described the invasion of the State Secretariat as unfortunate, despite the peace in the state.

He assures that under his watch, the Nigerian Army will play its part to ensure that such a thing does not repeat itself.

He also promised to ensure there is a synergy between the security agencies in the state in line with the directive and policy of the Chief of Army Staff, nothing that such collaboration will go a long way to guarantee better security.

While soliciting the continuation of support for the Army, the new GOC said he had been briefed on the numerous support the state government has been providing for the Army in the state.