Security: Amotekun Becomes Fully Operational with 1,500 Officers in Oyo - Makinde

Governor Seyi Makinde (second left) and others, during the passing-out ceremony of 1,500 pioneer corps of the State Security Network Agency, code-named Amotekun, at Emmanuel Alayande College of Education, Oyo…yesterday. PHOTO: NAJEEM RAHEEM

• To present 2021 budget to House of Assembly next Monday
• Oyo plans payment of gratuity to post-2019 retirees
• Increases monthly allocation to offset inherited gratuities

Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde has declared that the state’s Security Network Agency, code-named Amotekun Corps, is now fully operational.

Makinde, who gave the declaration, yesterday, at the passing-out ceremony of 1,500 pioneer Amotekun Corps at Emmanuel Alayande College of Education Sports Complex, Main Campus, Oyo, said that security had always been an issue, the reason security was made one of the pillars of his administration.

He, however, said that the 2021 budget had been perfected and concluded at the State Executive Council level, assuring that the Appropriation Bill would be presented to the state’s House of Assembly next week Monday.

“When the story of the Western Nigeria Security Network code-named Amotekun is told, it will be on record that it was officially launched on January 9, 2020. However, the Amotekun journey began earlier. In July 2019, the six states of the South-West, namely Ekiti, Lagos, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, and Oyo States, agreed to set up this outfit.

“Amotekun is indeed a first of its kind security agency because it is a regional security outfit initiated by one of Nigeria’s six geo-political zones.

“History will also state that the headquarters is here in Oyo State.

“Since its inauguration, we have been taking steps to ensure that the security outfit kicks off operations. In March 2020, the Oyo State House of Assembly passed the Oyo State Security Network Agency Bill 2020, which I signed into law a few days later.

Meanwhile, Chairman of Oyo State Amotekun Corps, Brig.-Gen. Kunle Togun (rtd), lauded the efforts of the governor to set up the state security outfit with the view to tackling insecurity plaguing the South-West region.

IN another development, the Oyo State government said it had resolved to start paying gratuity to officers of the state workforce that retired from 2019 till date to further reduce the backlog of unpaid gratuities to retirees.

Also, it said that the monthly allocation for the payment of backlog of unpaid gratuities had been increased from N230 million to N235 million with the promise of upward review of the amount when the state finances improve.

According to the state’s Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism, Dr. Wasiu Olatubosun, the decision was reached at the last Executive Council meeting of the state on Tuesday evening.

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