Don’t Trample On People’s Right, Soyinka Tells Amotekun Corps
Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka has warned the newly inaugurated officers of Ogun State’s wing of the South-West Joint Security Outfit known as, “Amotekun”, to discharge their duties within the provisions of rules that established the outfit.
Soyinka, who gave the warning at the inauguration of Amotekun in Abeokuta, the State capital, advised men and officers of the corps not to trample on the rights of the people.
The Nobel Laureate who was decorated as the Super Marshall of Amotekun Corps in the state”, said the inauguration of the security outfit is not in any way to replace or fight the regular police, but rather to complement their efforts in the fight of insecurity.
He said the Police and Amotekun can never be rivals, but to complement what the police are doing to secure the citizens.
He said “the unique swagger stick of the Governor Abiodun and the head of Amotekun, differs drastically from either the police or the military swagger stick.
“It is symbolic, it’s unique, it’s aesthetic and it just says we are different and I think that message, the aspect of it I want the security to understand is that it is not a replacement for you”.
He said the Police are too jealous of their position that was why they seem to be negating the formation of the security outfit.
“You are too jealous of your position, of your uniforms and everything and where there should be cooperation, there is competition, that is silly, let us now go beyond that and recognise that this unit is simply to complement what you are already doing adequately, that is to the best of your ability, inadequately as far as you are supposed to protect are concerned, the way we feel it”.
“So, be happy and welcome them within your ranks and work with them. Prof Soyinka then warned “the Amotekun people, saying “what we need to contribute to this initiative is monitoring, advice, designs.
“I want the Amotekun team to understand that we will be watching you as representatives of the civil society group, we will be watching you very closely to make sure that you do not trample on the rights of citizens”.
“You have been created to assist them, to protect them, to be part of them, to live inside them, to gather information, to say to the police, the military, we cannot handle this, but we have seen this, would like to take a look and assist?
“You are not here because you now have a uniform to start behaving like some other security agencies. You have to set an example to say that you are a civic unit.
Speaking on the recent attacks at his home, Professor Soyinka said, “I am glad the commissioner of police is here. My home in this place has been burglarized, I don’t say anything, I won’t say much, we have been hit several times, look in your records you will see how they broke into that place when I was away, very sensitive material was carried away, both security and everything, till today, even this case I was told went to SARS and also went to NSA, the Kabiyesi knows about one of the most serious ones, till today, I have had no feedback that sorry we didn’t make any headway so I’m compelled to resolve to do it myself and since then I have not been troubled but why? I pay taxes, why should I not rely on the protective services of the State, of my nation? It is absurd. “And so I hope that you will be able to work with Amotekun and give me a clue about what really happened to things that were stolen from my house and who these people were, who got away with it”. “So Amotekun, we are watching you, if you abuse your uniform before Ogun strikes you, we would have dealt with you.