Oyo State Amotekun Corps, not matured enough for state police -By Segun Adebowale

The aspirations and expectations of the Oyo State Security Network Agency and Amotekun Corps board of governance and the management team of metamorphosising the Oyo State Amotekun operatives to state police may soon be realized following the institution of state police committee set up on Wednesday 15th February, 2024 by president Bola Ahmed Tinubu (GCFR) the president federal republic of Nigeria. The question that will comes to mind is that would Oyo State Security Network Agency and Amotekun Corps administration be administering unprofessionally as it has been for the past three years or the administration will be professionalized in line with the Oyo State Amotekun law 2020 or in line the the law that may establish the “State Police?”

When the State Police is established, the administration shall be to professional standard like the Nigerian police, Civil defence, Nigerian army, Nigeria Immigration Service, (OYTMA, OYACA, Fire Service, all in Oyo state) and like the Ondo State Amotekun Security Network Agency and Amotekun Corps administration whose system of administration will just need little upward modifications to fit into the professional practice of the expected State Police.

The State Police administration shall not be a system of administration practice in the Oyo State Security Network Agency and Amotekun Corps where the State commandant is also acting as the chairman of the board of governance. A system of administration where the Sectary of the board is a toy instrument being manipulate for evil and unprofessional administration in the hand of Corps commandant. The seconded civil servants from Oyo State civil service commission who is expected to establish professional practice in the nascent Agency and train the pioneer Amotekun operatives the arts of good administration have lost the professional focus of the Oyo State civil service commission to the greediness and corrupt practices of the entire management team of the Agency.

The arrival of State Police shall issue appointment letter that bears terms and conditions of service to the employed operatives and officers, unlike the Oyo State Security Network Agency and Amotekun Corps that failed woefully to issue letter of appointment to its operatives for the past three years, not to talk of making the conditions of the Oyo State Amotekun service known to the Amotekun operatives. The condition of service operating across the Oyo State Local government councils is vary.

The practice of the Oyo State Security Network Agency and Amotekun Corps is devoid of departments which is one of the components of professional practice. All the Oyo State Amotekun operatives are just without any area of specialization.

The Agency that is expecting creation of the State police fails to prepare its operatives in terms of ranking structure, organization structure, chain of command, rules of engagement, code of conduct which is pertinent component of professional practice in military and para-military, even voluntary organization. No standard/qualifications into enlistment of the Oyo State Amotekun Corps. It is practice and qualification of OPC and thugs that is being used as criteria for recruitment into the Oyo State Amotekun. Can the Oyo State Amotekun operatives be converted into state police with their rankless status that is inflicted on them by wicked and inexperienced administrators?

The code of conduct and standard operation procedure of the state police may definitely be strange and uneasy to cope with for the Oyo State Amotekun operatives because these operatives have been totally immersed into unprofessional and corrupt practice of Col. (Rtd) Olayanju Olayinka lead administration.

Oyo State Security Network Agency and Amotekun Corps, an Agency established over three years ago, that is suffering from the cruel hand of unprofessional administration of Col. (rtd) Olayanju Olayinka because the Agency is ought to have gotten many officers of various ranks serving as deputy Corps commandants instead of the Agency being oversee by only one deputy commandant Akinro who was picked on the virtue of being an OPC leader.

The Oyo State government and the Oyo State Amotekun board of governance chairman, AIG (rtd) Sikiru Akanji can still do a lot to redeem the image of professional practice that had been disheveled in the Oyo State Security Network Agency and Amotekun Corps by the so call Col (rtd) Olayanju Olayinka who failed woefully to replicate the Nigerian army professional practice that enabled him to attain the rank of Colonel in Nigeria Army before he retired. There is need for urgent attention on the administration of the Agency by the Oyo State government so as to make the Oyo State Amotekun Corps administration adequately prepare for State Police.

In fact, Col. (rtd) Olayanju Olayinka’s lead unprofessional administration had created unnecessary rivalry between the literates and illiterates among the Oyo State Amotekun operatives, which when professional practice arrives the administration of the Agency, those illiterate that have enjoyed being a leader may find it difficult to submit to the wind of professional practice hope for.

In conclusion, the Oyo State government, Oyo State Attorney general as well as the Amotekun board of governance chairman are implore to quickly address the dearth of professional practice operating in the Oyo State Security Network Agency and Amotekun Corps administration.