By Kennedy Peretei
The reactions that trailed the maiden edition of this series were multi-dimensional; from the Ondo State Government’s information strategists to bootlickers. But, there is no need to respond to them because, the facts are known to all of us that live in Ondo State. They were flat, and as usual, lacking in substance. While l leave them to find solutions to the problems they created in the education sector, l proceed to the security situation in our Sunshine State.
In the words of Emperor Haile Selassie 1 of Ethiopia, “Throughout history, it has been the inaction of those who could have acted; the indifference of those who should have known better; the silence of the voice of justice when it mattered most; that has made it possible for evil to triumph”. So, no matter how sulky they get with our telling them the truth, we shall not retreat, until lack of performance is banished in our land.
In the month of July this year, some members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in a commuter bus traveling through Ifon, Ose Local Government Area, were kidnapped for several days. Two of the Youth Corpers were killed, the others were released after heavy ransom was paid.
One month later, in August, one Sunday Ayeni was brutally murdered by suspected herdsmen around Oka-Akoko in Akoko South West Local Government Area. The women who had abandoned their farms due to fear, stormed the palace of the Olubaka of Oka-land, His Royal Majesty, Oba Adebori Adeleye, half naked, in an unprecedented protest. The women told the monarch of the abduction, rape and kidnap of members of their families in their farms that have become regular occurrences.
On Thursday, 5th September, 2024, Sunday Oladele, a commercial motorcycle rider, popularly called Okada, and his passenger, Lucia Ayelabola were attacked at Obatedo Familugba, in Akure North Local Government Area by suspected herdsmen. Their attackers numbering about ten, clad in black upon black attire wielded pump action guns and matchett. Mrs Lucia was severally shot at and all her valuable items removed as she was allowed to die, helplessly, soaked in her own blood. Sunday, who escaped told the story of how the herdsmen chased him in the forest, through his blood that marked his escape route. Sunday is still bedridden from the wounds sustained during the incident. According to Sunday, ” I spent more than two weeks in the hospital, as l could not afford hospital bills and medication, l had to go home. But for good Samaritans, l would have been history. I beg the government to come to my rescue”. These are the kind of devastating stories that assault our sensibilities in Ondo State, everyday. Yet, there is a helmsman in the State, whose preoccupation is to tell us about how “Lucky” Ondo State is because he assumed office as Governor.
What is the usefulness of a government whose citizens are being traumatised and murdered in this manner? Can such people be said to be truly “Lucky” with Aiyedatiwa?
Obatedo- Familugba is particularly notorious for the activities of herdsmen that have made life very unbearable for farmers around the area. The inability of the State security architecture to rise to this embarrassing occasion calls to question what exactly is Governor Aiyedatiwa’s plan to secure the people beyond dancing around the State as a “Lucky” Governor.
Governors who are proactive provide vehicles for security agencies and other logistics to combat security challenges of this nature. After lamentations, we all wait for the criminals to strike again and again.
In these modern times, is it difficult to deploy technology to arrest this ugly trend, considering the humongous amounts accruing to the State as allocation from the Federal government? When next you want to say Ondo State is Lucky because Aiyedatiwa is Governor, remember the families that are victims of government’s insensitivity in the area of securing lives and properties in our State. I have no doubt in my mind that, Ondo State has been very “Unlucky” with Aiyedatiwa because, he has no idea of what can be done to secure all of us.
This series continues shortly.
Peretei is the former Publicity Secretary of PDP in Ondo State
Disclaimer: Opinion on this page does not belong to Starnews NG, but that of the writer.
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