Buhari’s Chief of Staff, Gambari, IGP Mohammed, DSS DG Bichi boycott southwest security meeting

The delegation of the federal government to the southwest security meeting last Saturday may boycotted the meeting. The meeting was said to be convened at the instance of the Chief of Staff to the President, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari, with southwest governors, traditional rulers, and other prominent leaders in the southwest to deliberate on the rising insecurity crisis in the zone and the heated inter-ethnic conflicts.

Chief of Staff to the President, Prof Gambari,

The Chief of Staff to the President, Prof Gambari, was not in attendance. It was, however, said that the hazy harmattan weather prevented him from flying out of Abuja for the meeting.

The Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Yusuf Bichi, and others, were also absent.

Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu

The security meeting held in Ibadan, Oyo State, was attended by five governors in the southwest who include Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State: Governors Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State, Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State, Governor Gboyega Oyetola of Osun State, and Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State. Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State was also absent at the meeting.

The chairman of the Southwest Governors Forum, Governor Akeredolu, had said that the meeting was to find lasting solutions to the lingering security issues in the southwest.

Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Yusuf Bichi

Chairman of the Southwest Governors Forum, Governor Akeredolu, after the security meeting at the Government House, Ibadan, Oyo State, disclosed that participants at the meeting on Saturday endorsed the decision by the National Economic Council (NEC) on forest ownership and management across the country, which implied that all states should have control of the forests within their jurisdictions.

Governor Akeredolu had highlighted: “We believe that all the states should be in a position to manage their forests.

“And that will give enough room to determine who and who are there, what purpose are they serving, and where you have people there illegally, the state should be able to take some steps, so that we can preserve our forests.”

The southwest governors and the traditional rulers also resolved that borders should be effectively monitored to prevent foreigners from entering the country illegally and causing violence and destructions.

Some of the traditional rulers that participated in the meeting include the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi III; Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Ogunwusi; Akarigbo of Remo, Oba Babatunde Ajayi; Olugbo of Ugbo Kingdom, Oba Fredrick Akinruntan; Olubadan of Ibadan, Oba Saliu Adetunji, Aje Ogungunnjso 1; and Olugbon of Orile Igbon, Oba Francis Olusola Alao.

The Commissioner of Police in Oyo State, Ngozi Onadeko, and other heads of security agencies in the State were said to be in attendance.

Also, the Deputy Inspector General of Police in charge of South-West, David Folawiyo, was also identified to have attended the meeting.

The ban on open grazing was sustained at the meeting.