PRESS STATEMENT
#ENDSARS: ATTACK ON OYETOLA, A CONDEMNABLE ACT OF TERRORISM —AKEREDOLU
Chairman of the South West Governors’ Forum and Governor of Ondo State, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Odunayo Akeredolu, SAN has condemned in strong terms, Saturday’s attack on the Governor of Osun State, Alhaji Gboyega Isiaka Oyetola by #EndSARS protesters in Osogbo, the State Capital.
Aside describing the attack as unwarranted, misdirected and repulsive, Governor Akeredolu bemoans the act even as he posits that the genuine movement was already being hijacked by politicians to visit their frustrations on perceived opponents.
Undoubtedly, the #EndSARS movement had had a popular and receptive attitude to it by majority of Nigerians, including policy makers, who have seen in it, an opportunity to deepen concern and redirect efforts towards veritable reforms aimed at achieving positive results.
All the same, the desirability or otherwise of this movement appears to have come under a curious integrity test following the misdirected anger visited on Governor Oyetola.
This act is a clear act of terrorism under the guise of a civil and supposedly peaceful protest that has been hijacked by criminals and hoodlums hired by politicians. This is more so, that dangerous weapons were said to have been deployed in the ignoble act.
Nothing more describes and represents this pernicious act as repulsive. It is, therefore, pertinent to call on the organisers to rein in stakeholders involved in the #EndSARS protests so as to stratify between those with genuine, altruistic desires for reforms and elements who have offered themselves as mercenaries to unleash mayhem on innocent people.
It must be noted that State Governors stand in between two inescapable points of challenges: while they ought to be Chief Security Officers in their respective States, are indeed, compelled to act as such, the workability of such still remains some distance away from reality.
In order words, the attack on Governor Oyetola or any other Governor anywhere in the Country is a clear infliction of double jeopardy. No Governor is in charge of any Police Formation, Unit or Department.
Governor Akeredolu calls on youths to hold firm their belief in the Nigerian Project and press for whatever is desirable to make it work. He, nonetheless, admonished them not to be useful tools in the hands of politicians at this trying period.
Signed
Ojo Oyewamide
Senior Special Assistant to the Governor On Media and Publicity