By PERPETUA EGESIMBA, Lagos

The former President of Nigeria, Olusegun Obasanjo, has endorsed South-West security initiative Operation Amotekun, saying that nothing since Independence has united the people of the region.

Obasanjo, who spoke in Lagos on Saturday during the First Annual Lecture of the founding father of the Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC), Late Dr Frederick Fasehun, in celebration of 25th year anniversary of the OPC said, from his personal observation, not even the civil war was a unifier like the Amotekun has been for the people of the region.

Obasanjo described Fasehun as a gentle, meek and irrepressible person political leader.

“Fasehun stood up with Oodua Peoples Congress to confront and fight the menace of Abacha,” the former military head of state and civilian president said.

“Let me put myself in the position of Dr Fasehun today if he were alive and only on two current issues of national importance, security and political structure.

“When he was alive, both were of great concern to him. What I say from now on could be attributed to him if he were alive or could be shared by both of us as he unburdened his mind to me on a number of occasions when he was here with us.”

According to Obasanjo, the first duty and responsibility of a leader is the security of lives and property of all members of his society.

“There is no doubt that the national security architecture, apparatus, system and arrangements in Nigeria today have failed to measure up to the needs of the citizens in different parts of the country.

“Hon Yakubu Dogara, with his understanding as a former Speaker of the House of Representatives, on February 6, 2020, put it graphically: ‘From Boko Haram-ISWAP led by Al-Barnawi, Boko Haram led by Shekau and Ansaru insurgency to farmers and herders conflict, banditry, kidnappings, ethnoreligious conflicts and cattle rustling, among others.

“We are confronted with a crisis that is unparalleled in our history. The death spiral appears unstoppable.’

“Even the President himself confessed that he was shocked to come to know that things are that bad.

“The Governors in different states of the country as the Chief Security Officers of their respective states were taking measures to enhance and buoy up security for their citizens.

“These measures vary from paying off bandits to hunting them down with vigilantes and hunters and to innovative joint efforts like Amotekun.

“What these Governors have shown was that they were concerned and they cared. I would not know if any of them was shocked but most of them took steps as they deemed fit to enhance the security of life and property for their citizens and to augment the failing and inadequate security provided at the national level.”

In his speech, OPC President Aare Prince Osibote warned of OPC impostors whose postures are at variance with Dr Fasehun’s vision.

According to him, one of the objectives of the lecture was to reinvigorate the machinery of the OPC as a veritable bridge builder and reconciliatory agent.

“We want to raise the bar of discourse among Nigerians and reset the barometer of the nation such that all of us can be on the same page.

“We have come a long way as a people and a country. We have travelled through many rough roads and paths, paid huge prices and Suffered enormous deprivation.

“In life, there is no gain without pain, however, all that glitters is not gold hence, I say enough of the season of recrimination. We have all wronged one another in one way or the other.

“We have made our mistakes; some of us failed to show remorse even when we are conscious that we erred advertently or otherwise,” the OPC leader said.

He made the assurance that the OPC will not derail in its path of speaking the truth, protecting the rights of Nigerians and imbuing the culture and values of integrity, discipline, honour and prestige. (The Sun)