Personality in Focus
Ondo 2024: Amotekun Assures Security Outside Election Area
The Ondo state gubernatorial election which has gathered a lot of attention over the past months is now less than 30 days. The fears of Ondo state indigenes and residents and of course, watchers from outside the state is mostly about maintaining peace, security, law, and order before, during, and after the elections.
The Ondo State Security Network (codenamed AMOTEKUN) has proven to be a force for good in the state since its establishment four (4) years ago by the late and former Governor, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu. The man saddled with the responsibility of leading the AMOTEKUN Corps, Corps Commander Adetunji Adeleye is assuring all Nigerians that his men will provide adequate supporting roles to the primary security agencies in charge of elections in Nigeria. He made this known in an exclusive interview with the security beats association, National Association of Online Security News Publishers (NAOSNP) led by the National President, Oki O. Samson during the association’s visit to the Amotekun Headquarters for a firsthand assessment tour of the security situation in the state ahead of the 16th November governorship election.
On the role that the AMOTEKUN Corps will play in the forthcoming elections, Akogun Adetunji Adeleye who doubles as the Chairman of Council of AMOTEKUN Corps Commanders in the Southwest (comprising Ekiti, Osun, Oyo, Ogun, and Ondo states) assured that his agency will play by the rules and be alive to its responsibility outside of the election arena. He noted: ‘This is not the first election that Amotekun will partake in. But we do know that mainly for elections, other security agencies like the Nigeria Police, the Civil Defence, the DSS, and so on will move in en masse. In fact, they bring officers and men from other states to ensure security during elections, so the house is open.’
‘But in the background we provide security, outside the election arena, on the routes, and on the road. We instruct our men that they are not to partake fully but to provide external security and ensure that all those places where policemen, Civil Defence, DSS, soldiers are not present, they should make sure there is no vacuum. When it is time to move election materials, we also provide support and any other places where the sister agencies need our collaborative effort we will gladly assist.’
The hardworking Corps Commander of the Ondo State AMOTEKUN Corps added: ‘I want to assure residents of Ondo State that the election is going to be peaceful. They should conduct themselves in a peaceful way. This is no longer the trend for thuggery during election, no it is gone.’
‘I want to tell the youths that they should comport themselves in a peaceful way. They should not allow any politician to use them as instruments to foment trouble because when the trouble comes, you alone will go to jail. They will not even want you to mention their name because of their personality. So somebody who will not put his child to go and become a thug, why is he paying you 10 kobo to become a thug, it doesn’t make sense.’
‘Our youths should be well informed, you cannot be used as a political thug and the law enforcement agencies will be there, not only Amotekun, all security agencies are there to ensure the election is conducted in a totally peaceful atmosphere.’
On how they recruit and train members of the AMOTEKUN Corps, Akogun Adetunji Adeleye hinted: ‘We don’t joke with our trainings because that is the only way we can be sure that we keep tabs on the modern trends. If you observe when you came in, we do our security review of the whole state twice a day. We do it every morning and every night. By 9-11am, 12 midnight we go on patrol everyday including Sundays.’
‘We have duty officers who have their roles to play, we have drones and equipment for tracking. We do our own tracking and we also have the DSS tracking with us. Those are some of the things that get us on top of the security situation.’
On what he personally does as the Head of the very effective and highly praised AMOTEKUN Corps in Ondo State, Adetunji Adeleye said: ‘It is 24 hours, physically I’m in the office for 18 hours everyday. I pick a senatorial district to go round the metropolis. If I’m going to the North today, I go from here to Oka, Isua and come back by 5 am. Tomorrow it could be South, third day it could be Central. That’s what I do, so there’s no way you will get to the AMOTEKUN post that you will not meet them there because they will not know when I’ll come, and they know the implications. If I meet you sleeping you go to jail, that’s why people are sleeping with their two eyes closed in Ondo state.’
A former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Lt Gen. Jeremiah Useni (retd), is dead.
He passed away on Thursday at the age of 82 after a protracted illness.
His death was announced in a statement issued in Jos by Gyang Bere, the Director of Press and Public Affairs to Plateau State governor, Caleb Mutfwang.
He described the of the former Minister and Quarter Master General of the Nigerian Army as a tremendous loss not only to his immediate family but also to the Nigerian Armed Forces, Plateau State, and the entire nation.
Highlighting the roles played by the late army general, Governor Mutfwang noted that he left an indelible mark on Nigeria’s security and political landscape with his tireless efforts to promote peace and security, especially in Northern Nigeria and Plateau State.
The governor prayed that god grants the family, plateau state, and the nation the strength and fortitude to bear the irreplaceable loss, and also asked for God’s divine presence to comfort and provide solace in the days ahead.
President Bola Tinubu has appointed Dr. Kayode Opeifa as the Managing Director of the Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC).
Dr. Opeifa, a renowned transportation expert and former Lagos State Commissioner for Transportation, is celebrated for his transformative policies that redefined public transport and traffic management in one of Africa’s busiest cities.
During his tenure as Commissioner, Dr. Opeifa introduced reforms that significantly eased traffic congestion, improved public transportation systems, and laid a solid foundation for Lagos State’s rapid urban growth.
His expertise extended to the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), where he served as Transport Secretary, implementing forward-thinking policies that enhanced mobility in the nation’s capital.
In his new role, Dr. Opeifa is expected to spearhead the modernization of Nigeria’s railway network, a critical infrastructure component for the nation’s economic advancement.
Industry stakeholders have expressed optimism about his appointment, highlighting his extensive experience in transportation planning and infrastructure development as assets for implementing sustainable solutions.
“This is a timely and commendable appointment,” noted one transportation expert. “Dr. Opeifa’s deep understanding of Nigeria’s transportation challenges makes him the ideal candidate to drive meaningful reforms in the railway sector.”
The Tinubu administration’s decision underscores its commitment to appointing competent professionals to execute its Renewed Hope agenda. With Dr. Opeifa at the helm, there is growing anticipation that the NRC will achieve improved connectivity, efficiency, and broader contributions to national development.
News of the early departure of Mr Ahmad Farroukh from the telecom giant Globacom suggests that he has been eased out in a shakeup by the management, according to an investigation.
“Ahmad Farroukh failed to meet up to expectations within his probationary period and he was politely asked to resign…” said an impeccable source.
“Despite the shake-up, Globacom’s commitment to innovation and expansion continues, reinforcing its competitive edge in a rapidly evolving telecom landscape..” the source further told us.
A former CEO of MTN Nigeria from 2006 to 2010, Farroukh joined Glo in October last year.
