NEC member of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Vice President, Industrial global union, Comrade Issa Aremu has called for caution in the recently launched western Nigeria security network called ‘Operation Amotekun’ in Ibadan, Oyo State.
Comrade Aremu made the call in his speech to mark his 59th birthday which he celebrated in Illorin, Kwara State and made available to newsmen in Kaduna.
Recalled that on Thursday, January 9, 2020, Governors of Nigeria’s six southwest States of Ogun, Osun, Oyo, Ekiti, Ondo and Lagos, launched the western Nigeria security network called ‘Operation Amotekun’ in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.
According to the labour leader, “The fear is that this new initiative about security at sub-national level may be out of fear than reasoned and well thought out security strategy. For one security like many critical issues like capital and labour controls are on the exclusive list of the constitution.
“The hope is that Operation Amotekun is not another state police without constitutional consideration and legitimacy in a Federation. Who can train and arm youths for security in Federation? Do they have power of intelligence gathering, arrest and prosecution? How does the Operation Amotekun relate with the existing Nigeria Police Force? Who pays and what are they paid” he queried.
“My suggestion is that both the Federal and state governments should have preventive approach to issue of security. There is a link between poverty, unemployment and rising crimes.
“It’s time state governments reinvented industries and create decent sustainable jobs instead of unnecessarily and uncritically arming the youths in the name of security.
“All states should key to the vision of President Muhammadu Buhari in creating 100 million jobs in 10 years. A million Federal and state police men will be overwhelmed by 80 million unemployed while 80 million fully employed youths would minimize crimes and make the jobs of police easier in maintaining security” he averred.