Osun guber: Apprehension over massive deployment of security
Ear-splitting siren rents the air in Osogbo, capital of Osun State as security operatives from various agencies including the Nigerian Army, the Department of State Security and the Nigeria Police Force are arriving in Osogbo for the August 9 governorship election.They could be seen in all strategic areas and their presence apparently guaranteed safety. Notwithstanding, […]
Ear-splitting siren rents the air in Osogbo, capital of Osun State as security operatives from various agencies including the Nigerian Army, the Department of State Security and the Nigeria Police Force are arriving in Osogbo for the August 9 governorship election.
They could be seen in all strategic areas and their presence apparently guaranteed safety.
Notwithstanding, the people of the state seemed apprehensive owing to the stern looking of the security men.
The arrival of the security men has been greeted with criticism by those who decried it while the deployment was commended by some set of people.
A civil servant in the state, Alhaji Oyesiku Adeolu while expressing his feeling on the development said nothing wrong with the deployment of the security men if they do their job professionally. He said “soldiers everywhere. Though, they are very civil. I drove round Osogbo now at 2am. Night clubs were operating as usual without molestation. When I met the soldiers on the road, they simply said ‘your inner light please’. Can you come down and open your boot’. Of course, who wouldn’t do that? No one can doubt the professionalism of these soldiers. Any one used to security formation in periods of wars
or social crisis would know that getting past these guys in cam can’t be a tea party”.
Oyesiku continued “But i like the feeling. Being able to drive at night and enjoying the cool breeze nature offers freely unlike the breeze from the air conditioners that though paid for, yet, dries your throat! This takes me to the issue of the election. People should not
be afraid at all. Remember, you are the ones who pay the salaries of all these security operatives. It is their duty to protect us. Anything to the contrary is an aberration. So on 9th August, wake early, go for accreditation and vote. It is your civic responsibility”.
Obviously, Oyesiku was speaking the mind of majority of people of Osun State as his statement was corroborated by the Resident Electoral Commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Mr. Olusegun Agbaje. The REC said the attitude of the political class in the state warranted the deployment of the security men to forestall
breakdown of law and order. He however warned the security men against overzealousness in the discharge of their duties so as not to scare the electorate from coming out to cast their votes for candidates of the choice during the election.
I have spoken with heads of all security agencies that were deployed to Osun for the election and I appealed to them to help us talk to their men to do their job with human face. They should carry out their assignment with professionalism and they should not harass innocent citizens of this state unnecessarily. The tensed political situation made it imperative for the deployment of these security men and since our advice to politicians to conduct themselves orderly to avoid this kind of situation did not yield, we have no choice other than resorting to massive deployment of security men. Since that is what the politicians want, so be it.
Agbaje warned INEC officials and ad-hoc staff who would participate in election duties to shun sharp practice or face the full wrath of the law as enshrined in the electoral laws. He said the commission recruited and trained 10,432 ad-hoc staff for the election and warned
that any INEC official or ad-hoc staff caught in unscrupulous dealing would be arrested by security operatives.
Another resident of Osogbo, Dr Husseini Abdullahi, Medical doctor said he sighted armed DSS operatives in a convoy of over 50 Hilux vehicles parading the city of Osogbo and that their presence created fear in the mind of the people of the state. Abdullahi said “the DSS ought to know that the state was peaceful and with the current behaviour, electorates maybe scared and discouraged. The sporadic shooting by the DSS men was barbaric, uncivilised and should be condemn by all. The security men should be electorate friendly.’’ Abdulahi therefore urged electorates to come out on the day of election and vote without fear.
The civil society group in the state, Committee for Democracy and Rights of the People (CDRP) also warned the security men deployed for Osun governorship election to conduct themselves according to the basic principles and guidelines that set up their respective organisations.
The Acting National Coordinator of the organization, Comrade Saka Waheed told our correspondent that the shooting into the air in strategic places around Osogbo by DSS operatives as barbaric when there was no security threat in the state.
“It is a trite law that he who must come with equity must come with clean hand, the unprofessional behaviour of security officers who just arrived Osun State despite initial condemnation has clearly boost and validate the argument of some sections of the people that the deployment of army and state security services (SSS) to an electoral process is another approach by the power that be to manipulate the system” Saka argued.
He described Osun as peaceful state comprising peace loving people who see the incoming election as normal civic duty in a democratic setting. Therefore, the security agencies should understand this sociological perspective and act accordingly henceforth.
Saka salute the courage of the citizenry for maintaining decorum, calmness and civility through-out the period of the shooting.
Saka promised that the organization will not hesitate to charge to court of law, any officer who over-stepped his boundary before, during and after the August 9th election.
Also speaking with our correspondent, the Special Adviser to Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola on Environment and Sanitation, Hon. Bola Ilori urged people of Osun State not to panic over the massive deployment of soldiers and the operatives Department of Security Service to Osun state. Ilori decried the sporadic shooting by operatives of the DSS and cautioned against misuse of security agents by political class in the country.He frowned that the federal government is intimidating the people of the state event when there was no security threat in any party of the country. He then charged the federal government to curtail the excesses of the operatives of DSS who have turned Osun to a war zone of sort.
The Director of Publicity, Research and Strategy for All Progressive Congress in Osun state, Barr. Kunle Oyatomi in his own reaction said the military is not saddled with internal security duties and that deployment of soldiers for the election was against the constitution.
He said the Nigeria Police is best suited for such duties constitutionally. He emphasized that a siege of the military for an election is a subversion of democracy and must not be encouraged.
He added that Osun citizens in Osogbo and elsewhere were unimpressed by the show of force by DSS operatives. Oyatomi said: “the DSS security operatives got a shocker around 5pm in the evening along Okefia when in company of some masked men the security operatives rent the air with a burst of sporadic gunfire to simply intimidate people.
Rather than scatter in fright, the people, with brooms in their hands, flooded into the street in utter defiance singing songs of praise of Aregbesola and the APC, and telling the security operatives who wanted to frighten them that no amount of threats and violence will change them from supporting the governor. The security people least expected what they saw”.
But the Peoples’ Democratic Party in the state said the deployment of security men is proper and appropriate. The Secretary of the party, Prince Bola Ajao said the security men should be allowed to do their job unhindered. He advised the people of the state not to panic over massive deployment of operatives of Department of State Security (DSS) and assured the security men would not do anything to jeopardise the peace of the state.
Also speaking at the PDP rally in Osogbo today, President Goodluck Jonathan said the clamour by APC that security should not to be deployed for the election was not justifiable considering the incident that occurred during an election in which ten NYSC youth corps members were killed. He then warned miscreants to stay away from the state before, during and after the election or face the full wrath of the law if they attempt to foment trouble in the Osun election.
Addressing the mammoth crowd on the rally, the President said “do you agree that we should not deploy security for the election? In response, the excited crowd chorused “No, no, no”.
Also, the Labour Party candidate, Alhaji Fatai Akinbade said the deployment of soldiers and DSS operative is a welcome development.
Akinbade said anyone who is not a criminal should not be afraid of security men for whatever reason. Akinbade who spoke through his media aide, Kayode Oladeji said the presence of security agents would help boost the confidence of the electorate and ensure peaceful conduct of the exercise.