OPC Caucus May Hijack Oyo State Amotekun corps Recruitment -By Segun Adebowale

What I read on a news published on-line by optimaltimeng.com titled Oyo Assembly faults suspension of all amotekun officers from two councils over bandit attack. reminds me of one Yoruba proverb that says “the oracle consultation has not been concluded, oracle’s revelations is unfolding” (Ai ti ko ifa n’ile, ifa nse) that complements and proves my several investigated reports on Oyo State Security Network Agency (Amotekun) published on opinionnigeria.com that the Oyo State Security Network Agency (Amotekun) is being unprofessionally managed by people at helms of its affair, especially the Oyo State Amotekun corps commandant; Col (rtd) Olayinka who is acting as the Board Chairman and board member which contradict this sayings “Enlarge not thy destiny, said the oracle: endeavor not to do more than is given thee in charge”.

The recent complete shut-down of Oyo State Amotekun corps offices in Iwajowa and Itesiwaju is not the first time of experiencing such unprofessional command from Oyo State Amotekun corps Commandant. Actually, the operatives in the two Local Government Councils are not at fault at all, the fault is from the Oyo State Security Network Agency (Amotekun) single handedly oversee by the Amotekun Commandant Col (Rtd) Olayinka who according to the establishing Law Article 7 (h) is just a member of Amotekun decision making Board of Governance, but now acting as all in all in the Oyo State Security Network Agency (Amotekun) by running the affair of a State own Security outfit (Amotekun) as his personal affair. The Commandant who usually transferred his administrative faults to the Oyo State Amotekun corps operatives has forgotten that he has failed in putting mechanisms in place to get hold of department or operative(s) in-charge of any unprofessional practice that occurred where he is heading. That is why all Amotekun operatives in Iwajowa and Itesiwaju Local Government councils are hold responsible for a fault, which a department or officer(s) in charge ought to have been accountable for. Can a reasonable leader hold all his/her subordinate responsible for a particular fault? This and others are signs of unprofessionalism in the Oyo State Security Network Agency (Amotekun). Had it been there is chain of Command in the Oyo State Security Network Agency (Amotekun) it could have been easier for the so call Col (rtd) Olayinka to pick out the right department or person(s) that failed to perform his / her expected duties in the Local councils rather than sanctioned all Amotekun operatives in the said Local Government councils.
In addition, it was revealed that Col (rtd) Olayinka’s unprofessional decision is said to be responsible for the cutting of the farmer’s hand, because it was after all Oyo State Amotekun Operatives were completely withdrawn from their respective Local Government councils that was when the farmer’s hand was cut-off by the suspected Fulani/Bororo herders. A question just crossed my mind that who is this man call Col. Olayinka? Would he have done the same thing if one of the Local Government were his home town? As a true citizen of Oyo State what kind of legacy did he want to leave behind after he might have completed his tenure as Amotekun State Commandant? What are those successes to point at hereafter? Your perpetual failure as Oyo State Amotekun corps commandant in creating standard security structure in Oyo State Amotekun corps is the perpetual faults of Oyo State Amotekun corps operatives to give you a desired output or expected positive performance.

According to information gathered from some selected LGs in Ibadan, Ogbomoso and Oke-Ogun axis it was gathered that prior to this time two directives had been given by Commandant Olayinka ordering complete closure of Amotekun corps offices, though in different days according schedule for each Local Government area. The first instance was during a medical assessment which was conducted between 18th to 21st January, 2022, which up till date the significant of the medical assessment has not been revealed. In actual sense and in a more professional practice of Standard military or paramilitary procedure, the medical examination / screening and bio-data capturing of each successful applicants that attended training should be done at the training centre by the Military / Paramilitary Agency recruiting the candidate (s) so as to avoid having fake medical report of the applicants. Why this was not done in Oyo State Amotekun corps during training exercise?

The second instance of closing down of Amotekun office in each Local Government area of Oyo State was between 16th – 24th February, 2022, that was set aside for a mere I.D card passport photograph taking, which ought to have been done while the fortunate selected operatives went for training in Oyo. When I got this information I began to imagine what could have happened during the hours of total close down of Security office in a particular Local Government, if there should be security emergency who were to respond to the citizens?

The Oyo State Security Network Agency (Amotekun) Board of Governance should try and correct the total shut-down practice in Oyo State Amotekun administration because of frivolous issue which can be attended to by sending out Department in-charge to snap the passport photographs at various Local Government offices. Or the passport photographs at this computer age can be gotten without involve the Amotekun corps operatives in unnecessary journey to headquarter. And the medical assessment for this on-going recruitment exercise is encourage to take place at the training centre so as to get accurate and valid health information of fortunate selected Amotekun corps.

With my observation, as good as Oyo State Network Agency (Amotekun) work ought to have been it is seriously battling with dearth of professional ethics and structure that should have constantly checked the Oyo State Amotekun operatives for successful practice. Even according to my findings this unprofessional practice is given the Agency internal management problems, if the commandant and other involve would say the truth. The OPC operational experience and system is operating in the Oyo State Security Network (Amotekun) simply because the members are coordinators, operational leaders, deputy commandant and the commandant in the Oyo State Amotekun corps.

Based on my investigation, I strongly advise the Amotekun Board Chairman and its member to wake up to their constitutional duty on recruitment as contain in the Oyo State Amotekun Law (2020) under Power to make Regulation Section 39 (1a, b,c) which states as follow: “The Board may make regulations generally for carrying into effect the provisions of this Law, including-
(a) criteria for the recruitment or enlistment of persons into Amotekun Corps;
(b) appointment of prominent indigenes of the State as Corps ambassadors; and
(c) any necessary regulations to guide the operations of the Agency and ensure the maintenance of discipline among its officers and operatives.

May I reveal to the Oyo State Board of Governance the plan on the flag-off Oyo State Recruitment exercise that the Odua People’s Congress (OPC) caucus had been given recruitment slot of TEN (10) candidates per Local Government by Commandant Olayinka and his 2ic Akinro, presently with my findings, the OPC members are boastfully busy compiling the names of their members. If this plan of Commandant Olayinka and Akinro (OPC) should be materialized, it means that out of intending Five hundred (500) Amotekun operatives to be recruited by the Oyo State Government, three hundred and ten (310) will be recruited as OPC candidate which most of them are taut and thugs. Please is this Amotekun Security outfit an Oyo State Security outfit or OPC security outfit in disguise? This security outfit belongs to the Oyo State Government not OPC caucus. Likewise, some the Odua People Congress (OPC) candidates in the present Oyo State Amotekun corps operatives (2020 recruitment exercise) were ascribed special ID code of 3digit. Investigate on this fact.

Please Amotekun Governing Board wake up to your duties in making the Oyo State Security Network Agency (Amotekun) operates as expected because to whom much is given much is expected. The Oyo State Government knows that you and your members are capable that why out of thousands you were selected to build a strong and reliable Security outfit for good people of the State, don’t allow intimidation from the Amotekun commandant, work let see your performance as a Powerful Governing Board.

In conclusion, the Oyo State House of Assembly and the Governor Seyi Makinde; the commandant in chief of Amotekun corps, is hereby implore to use his executive power to professionalize the operation of the Amotekun corps in the State and to also strictly look into this ongoing recruitment process so as to recruit youths who are educationally capable to bring innovative ideas and operate modern security gadgets in combating and preventing crimes in our society. As at now, within my immediate community, I have gathered a reasonable number of about Seventy two (72) Secondary School Students who have decided to opt out of School for Oyo State Amotekun recruitment, little did the Students know that what the Schooling abandoned shall fetch them in future is higher than immediate benefit seen in Oyo State Amotekun corps work. Please make SSCE Certificate the minimum requirement so as to recruit operatives who can read and write their names and express themselves when need be. These standards will naturally cut-off illiterates from applying for the Oyo State Security Network Agency and to encourage and promote Schooling in Oyo State.

Also call on the State Government to please set standard in Oyo State Network Agency (Amotekun) by make operational manual, code of conduct and ranks/grading system available for the recruited pioneer Amotekun Operatives in 2020 before recruiting another operatives so that the new intakes shall land on standard and structured platform. Make Oyo State a Pacesetter State indeed. May God help us all.