Enhancing Professionalism In The Oyo State Security Network Agency (Amotekun) -By Segun Adebowale

As the Oyo State Security Network Agency (Amotekun) concluded the Agency forceful traditional Oath taken, I wish to draw the attention of the Agency to certain things which if put in place, any of the Oyo State Amotekun operatives that act contrary to the terms and conditions written and agreed upon by them (operatives) shall with no means escape from getting appropriate punishment, even if no man caught the culprit, the law of nemesis would definitely catch up with the person that acts contrary to the laws (code of Conducts and Standard operational manual, if eventually made available to the Oyo Amotekun operatives by the Agency) of the Oyo State Security Network Agency (Amotekun). But since the Oyo State Security Network Agency (Amotekun) management team failed to let the Amotekun operatives know the “dos and don’ts” of the Agency, this fault from the Agency has nullifies the spell conjured by the Oyo State Security Network Agency (Amotekun) spell casters during the forceful traditional Oath taken at the Oyo State Amotekun Operational base at Dandaru, for It is universally believe that “where there is no law, there is no sin”.

The Oyo State Government and Oyo State Security Network Agency (Amotekun) management team should bear this in mind that without PROFESSIONALISM in the management and operation of the Oyo State Amotekun operatives, the Agency cannot meet up with its constitutional objectives and functions as contain in section 5 and 6 of the Oyo State Amotekun Law 2020.

In my own words, I would describe PROFESSIONALISM as the balance between using your skills to achieve the desired outcomes in your job/company/career and learning to continue to develop further. PROFESSIONALISM is the competence or skill expected of a professional. “The key to quality and efficiency is professionalism. Professionalism- is the ability to accomplish something effectively and proficiently. Or is the Oyo State Amotekun service not a standard / professional job?

The Oyo State government needs to regulate the administration of the Oyo State Security Network Agency (Amotekun) as the security outfit of the State to a world view security standard (Professionalism) so as to make the security organization more responsible to protects lives and property.

The professionalism is not just that you are fitted with a pleasant Oyo State Amotekun uniform; in addition, you should have knowledge of your occupation. Professionalism cannot operate where favoritism and nepotism through the Odua People’s Congress (OPC) caucus reign. An administration that places its staffs or personnel on the same level and salary scheme is dearth of professionalism.

Security outfit that lack hierarchy, would definitely embrace anarchy at the expenses of professionalism. The Security administrators that fail to make establishing law its compass would make unprofessionalism its driven force. The security personnel always project and protect the image of professionalism at all time.

Fundamental of professionalism in security service includes:

Having proper training and retraining programs to accomplish the task
Security rank structure and position
Organizational Structure
Operational manual
Functional code of conduct
Participating in ongoing development to make sure that skill is kept
Keeping the attitude of being the best that you can be.
Know the goal of your occupation and working to achieve them.
Consider the needs of security personnel.
Understanding the importance of providing excellence in public service.

All these ethos of Professionalism and lot more are grossly missing in the administration of the Oyo State Security Network Agency, (Amotekun) and all must uphold for effectiveness and efficiency in the Agency.

Any and every profession turns professional and it works better if the entire teams are trained rigorously. Every Security Services needs special training as the tasks are difficult to execute and often risking lives. However, only the best security agency provides proper training and rigid ones to the security personnel, which includes security officers. The training is given according to the requirement of the community / clients and service they are going to provide to the public. Many factors such as area or zone of security, what the security operatives shall be protecting, the type of people he needs to protect, the risk factors and much more are taken into consideration before providing security training.

There is however some of the most vital security trainings that reliable security agencies like the Oyo State Security Network Agency (Amotekun) should give to its personnel / staffs, such as:

Physical Training: Physical Training are the skills that are required for staying fit and active enough to tackle, fight and prevent any harmful or violent attacks. Physical exercises, running, jumping, climbing and much more such hard skills are given to the security guards as these are extremely essential in case of emergency.

Unarmed Training: Unarmed skills are required to be taught, because often, the physical forces are significant enough to prevent chaotic mishaps. There are plenty of fighting techniques and skills that are need to be learnt by the security operatives to prevent attacks that can come at any point in time. Defense skills can be performed without any arms and ammunitions. And these become important to perform at various situations.

Armed Training: Armed trainings are provided to most types of security agents to give them a proper knowledge on different types of weapons and ammunitions and their usage. It becomes hard for a security agent to give proper protection if he doesn’t know about the attackers’ weapons. Also, the security agent must know the proper usage of guns and other weapons accessible.

Skills Training: There are plenty of skills required to become a security agent. These skills are given training to develop each and every miscellaneous skill as these are must haves to run a reliable security service, discipline, Integrity, punctuality, honesty, accountability, good communication skills, reporting skills, alertness, learning usage of different security gadgets and technologies and much more.

Most of these training skills are lacking in the Oyo State Security Network Agency (Amotekun) operatives due to the fact that PROFESSIONALISM as driving force for the training skills above is not given a chance to reign in the Oyo State Security Network Agency (Amotekun) Administration.

Examine the concept of professionalism above, the Oyo State Government and the Oyo State Security Network Agency (Amotekun) Management team should know that PROFESSIONALIM captured the intended and expected behavior that the Agency is forcing its operatives to take traditional Oath on, it is only PROFESINOALISM that can brings about stated objectives of the Oyo State Security Network Agency (Amotekun) and accomplishment of the Agency constitutional duties as it is stated in the Oyo State Amotekun Law 2020. Neither magic nor ritual should perform to instill these into the Oyo Amotekun operatives.

PROFESIONALISM is a magnet and standard behavior expect from the Oyo State Amotekun operatives is considered as iron, that magnet would naturally draw to itself and instill the culture of Professionalism in the Oyo State Amotekun Corps operatives and the Oyo State Security Network Agency (Amotekun) Management team.

The Security outfit yearning for in the Southwest region to fight and conquer insurgency and other related crimes confronting the nation should be professionalized for effectiveness and efficiency.

Therefore, the Oyo State Government should draw out modalities toward professionalizing the administration and operation of the Oyo State Security Network Agency (Amoteun) to meet up with the Standard and professional administration operating at the Ondo state Security Network Agency (Amotekun). Can Oyo State Government do this? Yes, I believe it can be done.

In a nut shell, the Executive Governor of Oyo State Engineer Seyi Makinde, the Oyo State House of Assembly and the office of the Oyo State Attorney General should mandate the immediate use of the Oyo State Amotekun establishing law 2020 enacted by the Oyo State Government, so as to put a definite end to this era of unprofessional administration in the Oyo State Security Network Agency (Amotekun