The Oyo State government has organised a stakeholders security meeting on the security breaches in some parts of Ibadan, the state capital, by hoodlums and violent gangs.
The government urged youths to desist from violence and restiveness, noting that the Governor Seyi Makinde administration remained committed to putting in place policies that will bring about a new lease of life to the state’s teeming youth population.
A statement by the Special Assistant (Print Media) to the governor, Moses Alao, indicated that the state’s Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters, Barr. Bayo Lawal, gave this admonition on Monday, while briefing newsmen shortly after the security meeting held at the Ibadan North-East Local Government.
The emergency security meeting was attended by critical stakeholders in the local government, including the caretaker chairman of Ibadan North-East Local Government, Mr. Ibrahim AKintayo; Balogun of Ibadanland, High Chief Owolabi Olakulehin; Chief Lateef Oyelade, Mogajis, local security outfits such as the Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC) and Asoludero Guards and heads of security agencies, among others.
The government was represented by appointees of the governor including the full time Commissioner, Oyo State Universal Basic Education Board, Hon. Akeem Oladeji; Personal Assistant to the governor, Mr. Hakeem Azeez and the Liaison Officer, Ibadan North-East, Mr. Yahaya Akinbile.
Briefing newsmen shortly after the closed-door meeting, the Commissioner for Local Government Matters said the governor was worried about the gang wars and hoodlums crisis in some parts of Ibadan and that he ordered that the meeting be held to determine the immediate and remote causes of the crisis and come up with lasting solutions.
According to the commissioner, hard drugs have been fingered as the major cause of the restiveness, even as he warned parents to rein in their wards and perform the duties on the children.
The commissioner said: “The purpose of this meeting is to be act on the frequent crisis being led by hoodlums within Ibadan North Local Government.
“Apparently, the governor himself was disturbed and he gave us instructions to order this stakeholders’ meeting to find out the remote and immediate causes and bring suggestions on how to end it. That was why we called this stakeholders meeting.
“Today, I am happy to tell you that we were able to collate the causes and we have been able to gather the solutions from various stakeholders, which we will still further analyse and also work out modalities of taking effective steps as suggested by the stakeholders.”
While admonishing the youths fomenting trouble in the local government, Lawal said: “I want to appeal to them; the government is responding to most of their requests as being suggested by the stakeholders.
“So, they should be patient with us. All our election promises, we have made sure that we are delivering on them.”
Speaking on the major cause of the breaches, Lawal added: “As claimed by the stakeholders, hard drugs is one of the major causes. Some of these youths are juveniles. And the parents fail to perform their duties.
“If parents give their children proper orientation, proper counselling and they give them the duty of care, they won’t be on the streets supported by hard drugs. So what do you expect?
“So, all these we are going to address,” the commissioner assured, noting, however, that the problems of insecurity can only be solved through collective effort.
