AS WE AWAIT THE OSUN AMOTEKUN BOARD AN OPEN NOTE TO OSUN STATE GOVERNOR

His Excellency Sir, the news that you appointed Senior Combatant Comrade Amitolu Shittu as the Director-General Osun State Amotekun Corps met me in a rude shock. Since the appointment was announced I have made efforts to prepare this letter three times but have abandoned it the middle all three times. I had wanted to write to express my displeasure at the appointment because I was and still strongly of the opinion that Amotekun Corps deserves to be led in its operational capacity by a senior Military, or paramilitary officer with the minimum qualification of pass War College (National Defence College) or Pass National Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies and any of its equivalents globally.

During the struggle for who becomes commissioner or not, I was one those that believed sincerely that Combatant Comrade Shittu deserves to serve our people as a commissioner. I was mortally crushed when his name was omitted because of Comrade Shittu and a few others I kept Vigil at newspaper stands and prayed that supplementary list will be sent to the Osun State House of Assembly. Alas, that refused to happen. I was supposed to celebrate the appointment of Comrade Shittu because he is a very senior comrade but my conscience will not let me support the mortgaging of the security of our people on the altar of personal sentiments. Without any iota of doubt, I dare to say the operational head of Amotekun is supposed to be handled by a retired Senior Military officer.

We must not shy away from the fact the major hurdle the Amotekun Corps will face is synergizing with Federal Government Agencies (Police, Army, DSS, etc). My understanding of the Military clearly teaches that your Senior by one day is your senior for life. Osun should immediately tap into the large poll of Senior Retired officers we have. Osun is one of those very states that can boast to have produced a former Chief of Army Staff and a former Chief of Air Staff that later served as Chief of Defence Staff. We have also produced top hats in the police and top brass of the DSS and other agencies. It is a blow below the belt that in a state as such the operational capacity of our internal security network to be led by a Combatant comrade with very limited exposure to the intricacies of how security systems work. The Osun Amotekun Corps deserves a DG or a commander that the Commissioner of Police, Commander Engineering Construction Regiment Ede and the Commandant of Air Force Training Institute Ipetu-jesa will respect so much and cow under the superiority of his experience and seniority, only this can guarantee a synergy with Federal Security Agencies.

Today Sunday 3 May 2020, I saw a Press release from Ekiti State Government announcing the Members of Governing Board of Ekiti State Amotekun Network. The five-man board is to be chaired by Mr. Akin Aregbesola, while the operational head (Corps Commander) is a retired Army top brass Brig. Gen Joe Komolafe. The Board also have another retired army officer Major Fatai Fakorede. In my opinion, this is an arrangement that is very likely to produce good fruits. I understand The Executive Governor of Ekiti John Kayode Fayemi holds a P.Hd in diplomacy and peace studies. It is only proper that we follow in the beautiful example he has laid. Sir, Osun Amotekun Corps must not be ridiculed and reduced to a crude political joke amongst sister networks in the South-West.

I understand that as a matter of policy Federal Universities ensure that their Chief Security Officers are retired military officer that must have passed the minimum of a particular rank. His Excellency Sir, it is my humble opinion that Amotekun network bears strings of similarities with the Security Network of our various Universities. Amotekun is to South-West what internal security arrangement is to the Universities.

I have refused to celebrate the appointment of Combatant Comrade Shittu until I see Press Statement from Osun State Government clarifying that the Director-General Osun Amotekun Corps is equivalent to Chairman of Governing Board while a retired senior military officer is appointed as the operational and administrative head of the Corps. This will be a massive cause for celebration because Comrade Shittu will use his experience of so many years invested in activism and fight oppression to ensure that Osun Amotekun Corps does not become the tormentor of the common man.

Yours in the service for a better Osun State.

OLANIYI ODINA

08188475958

3 May 2020