The Ooni of Ife, Ooni Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi Ijaja II on Thursday in Ile-Ife hosted key stakeholders including Governors of the Southwest and traditional rulers at a maiden Yoruba Security Summit to address rising insecurity in the region.
The summit, among others sought for a collaborative approach to addressing the myriad of security challenges currently facing the Southwest region particularly banditry and kidnapping.
In a communique issued after the summit held at the Ojaja Area, Ife Grand Resorts in Ile-Ife, concerns were raised over the upsurge of organized systematic attacks on Traditional Rulers and eminent sons and daughters of Yoruba land by suspected herders.
It was further noted that the herdsmen attacks have been largely responsible for food insecurity and food scarcity in the South West resulting from the organized attacks on farmers.
Chaired by the former Nigeria’s Chief Of Army Staff, Gen. Alani Akinrinade, the summit was a gathering of critical stakeholders, including security experts, political leaders, traditional rulers, religious leaders and Yoruba interest groups.
The Governor of Osun State as the host Governor was represented by his Deputy, Prince Kola Adewusi while the other five Governors of Ekiti, Ondo, Oyo, Lagos and Ogun States were represented.
The Olowo of Owo Alayeluwa, Oba Ajibade Gbadegesin Ogunoye III, Osemawe of Ondo, Alayeluwa Oba Victor Kiladejo, the Deji of Akure, Owa Ajero of Ijero-Ekiti, Akarigbo of Remoland, Olowu of Owu, Abeokuta, Alayemore of Ido-Osun, Aragbiji of Iragbiji, Akire of Ikire-Ile and a host of other traditional rulers from across Yoruba land attended the summit.
Others included the Alara of Ara-Ekiti, Iba Gani Adams, the Aare Onakakanfo of Yorubaland, Mr. Sunday Igboho, Mr. Akin Osuntokun and a host of others.
Full list of the resolutions below,
1.That Yoruba people should take full control of their forests, homelands and farmlands.
2.That the Amotekun corps should be strengthened in terms of;
i.Given recognition and to be transformed to the status of State Police;
ii.Motivation, finances, training and retraining of personnels and that those who are familiar with nooks and crannies of our forests should be recruited into the Amotekun.
iii.Provision of training grounds for its personnel.
iv.Provision of adequate budgetary allocations to the Amotekun corps.
v.The summit agreed that a department of Forest Amotekun corps be created
3.That the Yoruba, especially the traditional rulers should make recourse to their natural resources including natural powers to combat banditry and kidnapping; that Yoruba Obas should not jettison traditional values.
4.That government at all levels should recognize the roles of traditional rulers and factor them into the national security architecture.
5.That the entire Obas in Yorubaland should work in unison to ward off the evils of banditry and kidnappings as each of the states could only succeed in chasing the marauders to another state.
6.Traditional rulers are advised to uphold and value the custom and tradition of the land.
7.That each time an attack took place, the offenders were quickly left off the hook by the powers that be and that the judicial process should be strengthened to mete out appropriate punishments to culprits or bring them to justice.
8.That the Governors of South West Nigeria should organize Regional Security Summit at the earliest practicable time, including all stakeholders to chart the way forward and give teeth to all the concerns raised at this (current) summit.
9.The security summit called for strong support for the administration of President Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the larger interest of Yoruba race.
10.The security summit called on Yoruba Traditional rulers to return to the pristine Yoruba traditional, spiritual and cultural values. At all times, the traditional rulers should recognize that, in spite of whatever nature of religion they practice, they must recognize that the stool they preside over is traditional.
11.The summit called on Yoruba traditional rulers to take full possession of their forests, homelands and farmlands.
12.The summit called on Local, State and Federal Governments to employ use of drones and other appropriate technology for the effective surveillance of Yoruba forests and roads.
13. The summit agreed that the Yoruba security summit should be held quarterly basis so as to capture intervening and supervising variables in our polity.
14. We take due cognizance of the difficulties and challenges Nigeria is going through. We dare say that our son; Bola Tinubu whom it has pleased God to make the President of Nigeria is doing his level best to grapple with, and overcome the challenges.
We appeal to our colleauges from all the nooks and crannies of Nigeria to cooperate and support him to make a success of his government.