The first duty of all governments is the protection of lives and property of its residents and citizens. That is job (numero uno) number one. Can anyone say that the lives of SW Nigerians or any other section of the country has been effectively protected? The federal government is charged to do this task and has been provided with the security apparatus needed to do this number one job. But the federal government of Nigeria led by Mr. Muhammadu Buhari has failed woefully in this very important task.
Wetin man go do?
Man go do what man go do.
This is the reason why the governors of SW Nigeria stepped up to the plate with Amotekun. They took the lives and property of their electors to heart and are trying to do the onerous work of protecting the lives of their people. They acted while their counterparts in other parts of Nigeria were sitting down to a good wine and sleeping with gorgeous young women in the zones.
There cannot be anything but praise for the daring governors. They are bold, faithful to the oath of office they swore, even while realizing that they may have to postpone or delay some of the pressing infrastructure needs of their constituencies. Live is much more valuable than good roads.
Compare this action to that of Governor Ugwuanyi of Enugu State when 60 Nsukka residents were killed in Nsukka by the alleged Fulani Herdsmen. The governor wearing a well starched and ironed Yoruba Agbada went to Abuja to shake hands with PMB and after a good wine and hand shaking PMB promised that the perpetrators will be found and punished. It has been three years and nothing has happened or is happening. Since then there has been the Awgu massacre including those alleged to be hiding in Awgu caves.
These kinds of incidents are recorded from Jos to Port Harcourt and beyond.
If the FG cannot or will not do their job, it is the duty and responsibility of the next in command (the governors) to step up and help. I have written that all the SS, SE and NC zones MUST form their own kind of Amotekuns and sign a mutual defense document. Then if the FG wants to help the FG may negotiate the terms of cooperation.
Some have argued that Amotekun is not armed. This argument is peddled because some people want to appease the government of PMB. It is useless forming an Amotekun if it will not be armed. How will they fight against the-armed-to-the-teeth murderers who invade SW or the other parts of Nigeria? Are we trying to provide the herders with shooting targets? Force must be met with force. Force is the only language that miscreants understand.
Remember that every action has an equal and opposite reaction. Amotekun is the equal and opposite reaction to our current insecurity.
Let’s praise the governors of SW but above all let’s copy them.
*** Benjamin Obiajulu Aduba writes from Boston, Massachusetts.
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