Fight against criminals not targeted at ethnic group - Akeredolu

The Ondo State Governor and Chairman South-West Governors’ Forum, Mr Rotimi Akeredolu, on Tuesday, February 23, 2021, declared that the governors in the region would continue to fight against criminalities in the region with all legal means.

Akeredolu, who expressed his concern on the criticism from some quarters against his steps to fight insecurity in recent time, said the fight against criminalities in the region was not targeted at any ethnic group in the country.

The governor stated this at the second term inauguration lecture, held in Akure, the state capital.

The lecture, titled, ‘Towards a new Nigeria: From the fatherism to commonwealth’, was delivered by the President of the African Development Bank, Dr Akinwumi Adesina.

Akeredolu, who will be sworn-in for the second term on Wednesday, noted that the spate of insecurity across the country had indicated that all was not well with the nation and there was no need to pretend about it as the development had also affected the unity of the country.

He said, “Today, the most potent threat to national belief is insecurity. And because we have allowed a sustained, non-beneficial stagnation for too long in our approach, the consequences are increasingly becoming more daring. The time to act is now, not tomorrow. As leaders, the choices we make create the path to our desires. We cannot pretend that all is well when indeed, more things are going wrong.

“What we have set out to do in the south western states is not targeted at any ethnic nationality or business. But we are against criminality and we shall fight criminalities with every legal means. It is in the interest of our collective wellbeing. All we require is the support and understanding of all federating units, including the Federal Government. The simple truth is that we have lived in self-denial amid an excruciating pain that is almost cancerous now.

“Notwithstanding our challenges today, my firm belief in the Nigerian Project is strengthened by my own fact of a true Nigerian. I desire a more united Nigeria with every ingredient of freedom, rule of law, patriotism, love, mutual respect and harmony is an understatement. And I am prepared to fight for it legitimately for the benefit of all.”