Civilian JTF, panacea to insecurity-Omatseye

From Victor Akinkuolie, Ado-Ekiti
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A journalist and Chairman Editorial Board, The Nation Newspaper, Mr. Sam Omatseye, has said that the deployment of  drones in the Southwest to track down kidnappers and killers might fail, if there is no Civilian Joint Task Force (JTF) to boost the intelligence gathering for security agencies to take proper actions.

Omatseye,  said the emasculation of the Boko Haram insurgents in the Northeast by the military was made possible by the civilian JTF constituted by former Governor of Borno State, Alhaji Kashim Shettima.

He said the issue of bombings and killings in the Northeast, particularly in Borno State could have persisted , but for fearlesness of the locals constituted into the JTF for robust intelligence gathering.

Omatseye spoke on yesterday while delivering a lecture entitled : “To Secure, First We Have. To Love: Herdsmen, Kidnappers , Boko Haram and the Climate of Fear’ , at the maiden edition of a public lecture organised by the Faculty of Arts, Ekiti State University, Ado Ekiti.

Omatseye, represented by the Obanla of Ijesa Isu Ekiti, Oba Gabriel Oso Adeniyi, charged all Nigerians to see the issue of security as everybody’s business and not the sole responsibility of the government and security agencies .

“With each afraid of the other, we can’t stop banditry, or herdsmen crisis , or even Boko Haram . We need a leadership of fairness and fearlessness.

“What did the former Borno Governor, Kashim Shettima do to drive out Boko Haram among the people? they were civilian JTF . We need drones as intelligence when the military had failed us.

“We need to create civilian equivalents of the JTF in the Southwest and other parts of the country. The JTF can gather intelligence about the whereabouts of these killers. The drones can then monitor where exactly they are and the air Force can go to work.”

He added “On the military level , why are they not using drones to target and isolate and knock out hoodlums? Are they not human beings? Are they not living among us? Are they spirit?”, he asked.

On why the Herdsmen clashes and kidnappings might be difficult to resolve or get a permanent solution,Omatseye said,  “Do we have the political will that will give us permanent peace to these crises? If we have  the political will, then there will be peace, but otherwise, there won’t”, he stated.

Omatseye disagreed with the call by Prof Ango Abdullahi’s powered Northern Elders Forum(NEF) that all herders in the south should return to the Northern part of the country for safety.

Also conferred with honourary  awards at the lecture are : Senator representing Ekiti south, Mr. Adedayo Adeyeye, a House of Representatives member, Mr Yemi Adaramodu , Alhaji  Wale Sanusi, an ICT guru, Dr. Tope Agbeyo, Barr. Tope Adebayo and the guest lecturer, Mr. Sam Omoseye.