Ondo state Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, has revealed the agreements South West Governors had with the Federal Government over the region’s security outfit “Operation Amotekun”.
Akeredolu said governors of the region and Osinbajo agreed on a legal framework to be established to backup the region’s security outfit.
Recall that the Southwest governors had met with Osinbajo yesterday at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The meeting is coming 24 hours after the national leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu, said Amotekun was not a threat to national unity.
Amotekun, an initiative of Southwest Governors, was first declared illegal last Tuesday by the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami
However, Akeredolu while addressing State House correspondents after the meeting, said: “We held a very fruitful discussion, the governors of the South-West were there. The meeting was presided over by the Vice President, the AGF was there and the Inspector General of Police.
“We have rubbed minds and all of us have agreed on the way forward. The most important thing is that we are going to have the legal framework to back this Amotekun. And this legal framework is going to be one in which all of us will look at and we will be sure that it goes without any hindrance.”
When asked if the agreement reached with the Vice President meant that the establishment of the outfit would be put on hold until the legal framework was developed, he said: “No. What I believe about our resolution is that Amotekan is there, you know the Federal Government is starting community policing. In essence really, it is about community. So, we are going to work together to see the community policing and Amotekan work in a way.”
Akeredolu also insisted that there were consultations before the establishment of Amotekun
“There were consultations, don’t say there were no consultations. There were consultations because we held discussions with the IG then and what has developed is what has led to this, not that there were no consultations.
“We just felt that with all these noise outside, it was better for us to sit down. Remember that immediately the noise started, I said that we were going to explore political solutions and all of us are here, my colleague, the deputy governor of Oyo State who is of the PDP, all of us are here. So, we have looked at both political and legal solutions to it and all of us will do it,” he said.
