By Fidelis David
The Coalition of Southern and Middle Belt Youth Leaders Assembly (COSMBYLA), the umbrella body of all the youth groups in the South-east, South-west, South-south and Middle Belt region, yesterday, commended Ondo State Governor, Mr. Oluwarotimi Akeredolu (SAN) who said the state under the doctrine of necessity have decided to fulfil its legal, constitutional and moral duty to the citizens of the state by acquiring sophisticated weapons to protect them.
Akeredolu had on Thursday through a statement titled: ‘We Believe In One Nigeria, But We Cannot Have One Country, Two Systems’, wondered why Amotekun, a South-west regional security outfit, could not bear sophisticated weapons despite continuous call for such, but her counterpart in Katsina State, established to tame bandits and terrorists, are bearing AK-47.
The youths, reacting through a statement jointly signed and made available to journalists in Akure by Mr. Goodluck Ibem, President General, Coalition of South East Youth Leaders (COSEYL) and Leader of COSMBYLA, Mr. Terrence Kuanum, Coordinator, Forum of Middle Belt Youth Presidents; Shittu Waheed, Coordinator, South West Youth Leaders Forum (SWYLF) and Tito Zokumor, President South South Youth Forum (SSYF), lampooned the federal government for allegedly playing double standard with the nation’s security
The statement reads: “We commend the federal government for approving AK-47 riffles for Katsina State security outfit faced with serious security challenges of terrorism by ISWAP, Boko Haram, Fulani herdsmen and bandits. The approval for Katsina State to carry AK-47 rifles to fight insecurity in their state is a tacit approval by the federal government to other states that applied for AK-47 as Katsina State which are having similar serious security challenges.
“States like Benue, Ondo states and others that applied to the federal government for approval like Benue State Community Volunteer Guards, BSCVG, Amotekun and others are by the approval for Katsina State security outfit empowered to carry AK-47 as their counterpart to protect their citizens from attacks by terrorists.
“All states in Nigeria have equal rights and privileges. No state in Nigeria has right, power or privileges more than the other. We are in a federation where all states are equal. We do not have two countries in Nigeria. We have only one country and one system. So what is applied for one state is also applied to the other states,” the group stressed.
It called on the governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom, his Ondo State counterpart, Rotimi Akeredolu and others who applied for AK-47 as Katsina State to thank the federal government for the approval and thus go ahead to protect their people through any legitimate means.
“We commend the executive governor of Benue State, Dr. Samuel Ortom and the executive governor of Ondo State and Chairman of Southern Governors Forum, Rotimi Akeredolu who have always stood firm to protect and defend their people entrusted to them by the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. They have always proved their mettle and we commend them for that.
“We the Youth Leaders of Southern and Middle Belt Youths stand solidly behind our governors in their constitutional duties and obligations to protect their people as Chief Security Officers of their states. We thank the federal government for the approval to states having serious security challenges to carry AK-47 rifles through the approval for Katsina State security outfit. It is indeed a welcome development,” the group added.
