The executive Chairman of Oluyole Local Government Area, Engineer Akeem Olatinji, has announced a comprehensive restructuring of the security architecture in the council.
The move became exigent and necessary as part of his administration’s proactive efforts towards addressing the rising concerns of kidnapping and other criminal activities along the Oyo/Ogun border at Ijebu.
Olatunji disclosed this while speaking with journalists shortly after an expanded political stakeholders meeting held in his office at Idi-ayunre, the local government Secretariat.
Recall that there have been several reports of attacks in Oluyole especially along Lagos-Ibadan express, Onigambari and Oyo/Ogun border along Ibadan-Ijebu road including one reported attack in December, 2023 when seven persons were allegedly kidnapped along the Fidiwo axis of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway on Monday just as one person was reportedly shot dead while escaping the attack.
Olatunji, who noted that these incidents exposes the vulnerability of the Council area to criminal activities, stressed the necessity to take decisive action to safeguard the lives and properties of residents.
According to Olatunji, the restructured security architecture will involve collaboration with various security agencies, including the police, Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Oyo state Amotekun Corps, and local vigilante groups.
Speaking on the initiative, the Council boss emphasized the importance of synergy among stakeholders in combating crime. He stated that the safety and security of his people are paramount to him, and all hands must be on deck to work together to ensure that criminal elements do not have a foothold in Oluyole LG.
“As I said during my electioneering campaign, we’re already making frantic move to replicate governor Seyi Makinde’s leadership style in Oluyole local government and I can tell you it’s already yielding results. You can see that since I took over the affairs of the local government, the issue of kidnapping and other upscale criminal activities have abated considerably in Oluyole and that’s because I hit the ground running immediately.
“And like I said earlier, the restructured security plan we’re putting in place will include increased patrols along the border areas, intelligence gathering, and the establishment of community policing initiatives. And also, efforts will be made to enhance communication and coordination among security agencies to effectively respond to any security threats.
“Like we all know, operatives of the Amotekun corps know the terrain including the bushes and forests because about 95 percent of them are from our various local communities. So, what we just try to do is to relocate their headquarters from Macmillan where their base serves no purpose because it is far from the action points which is Idi-ayunre and Olode sectors, to a place we’ve prepared for them here.
“We’ve equally set up an Amotekun post at Onila which will take care of Muslim, Egbeda-Tuba road, and another post at Ayegun which will cater for Olomi, Ayegun-Olojuoro road under Wards 7, 1, and 6. So, the Amotekun base at Idi-ayunre will now take care of Mamu axis along Ijebu road and Oja’badan along Egba road both along the border of Oyo and Ogun states, while the extra post would be in Ward 2. With that, we would have securely captured the entire Oluyole.” Olatunji stated.
Similarly, People’s Democratic Party, PDP Stakeholders at the meeting have commended Akeem Olatunji for starting his administration on good note and encouraged him to continue to toe the path he has started with in order to achieve the desired results in the local government.
The highest ranking political office holder and two term member of the federal House of Representatives in Oluyole, Hon. Depo Oyedokun stated in his brief remarks while speaking to newsmen that the expanded stakeholders meeting they just held was first of its kind in a very long while welcoming the proposed quarterly meeting of the stakeholders to foster party cohesion and strength ahead of future elections.
“If anybody says or thinks PDP is not united in Oluyole, that would be the joke of the year. You can see the assemblage of people here now, from all the wards, all the leaders are here today so, PDP is strongly united, we’re even now more united than we were before.
“And what this meeting portends for us is strength, the chairman has started very well because we’ve never had it like this before and the chairman has said an expanded leadership of the party will be meeting once quarterly to bring cohesion into the party which will bring a sense of belonging to everyone.” Hon. Oyedokun said.
The PDP chairman in Oluyole, Alhaji Mukail Adegbola lauded Olatunji’s initiative over his call for the expanded stakeholders meeting which he said was long overdue stating that it is a welcome development that must be sustained in the spirit of unity and strength within the party while boasting that PDP has become more formidable in the local government to go into any election at any given time with assurances of landslide victory.
Olatunji’s predecessor, Hon. Olaide Settle expressed enthusiasm at the development, describing it as a good start while suggesting that the leadership of the party should endeavor to extend a hand of friendship to other key stakeholders not present at the meeting in order to further fortify the party ahead of future elections.
Others who spoke to journalists after the meeting commended Olatunji for the step taken and his approach to governance while stressing the need for consistency, inclusive governance, and party cohesion.
Present at the expanded stakeholders meeting are former Commissioners for Environment; Hon Jide Adewale, Industries; Engr Ayuba Balogun, Lands and Housing; Barrister Abiodun AbduRaheem AbdulRahman, Chairman of Education Trust Fund,
former and present State House of Assembly members, Hon Luku Salau and Hon. Waheed Akintayo.
Others are the Executive Chairman of Oyo Pacesetters Transport Company, Dikko Salami, executive Chairman of RUWASSA, Alhaji Babalola Afobaje, Special Assistant to the Governor on Oluyole federal constituency, Olumide Akinlade, Vice Chairman of Oluyole Local Government, Hon Niyi Akorede, former executive chairman of the Council, Hon. Kehinde Abore, immediate past Vice Chairman of Oluyole Local Government, Hon Tunde Ayoade, and all 10 Wards Chairmen.
