Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Mr Sunday Dare, has challenged the Governor of Oyo State, Seyi Makinde, to take a decisive stand against insecurity in his state in the interest of the citizen.
Ibarapa area of the state has been under tension over alleged kidnap, killing and raping of residents.
Dare averred that Governor Makinde was scared to act on the matter because of his fear that his political status would be damaged.
A statement issued by Dare on Monday noted that, “For several months, citizens of Oyo State have watched with increasing concern as the security situation in our beloved state degenerated. Troubling accounts about killings, kidnappings, and herdsmen versus farmers conflicts abound.
”Like all the people of Oyo State, I expected the Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State to act prudently but with reasonable dispatch to quell the security situation before it got out of hand. We all waited for proactive steps and responses from the state authority certainly in vain.
“Governor Makinde seems to be paralysed by fear regarding this important security situation. This is the first serious test of his leadership of the state.
“Instead of tackling it, he has retreated. His policy has not been proactive enough to resolve the issues so that security of lives will be guaranteed and our people spared the mournings over dead ones. Instead, his policy has been to act as if nothing was happening in forlorn hope that all would simply go away as if it were a bad dream.”
“The worsening developments in the state in the area of security are a direct result of a temporising fiddling leader. The Governor has paid more lip service to the issue of security instead of offering solutions or taking proactive steps to stem the attacks and chart the path of resolution. For this is a complex issue that requires political courage and vision to resolve.”