SPEECH BY THE GOVERNOR, THE STATE OF OSUN, MR. ADEGBOYEGA OYETOLA, AT THE FLAG-OFF OF THE JOINT TASK FORCE AGAINST KIDNAPPING, CULTISM AND ILLEGAL MINING IN THE STATE ON TUESDAY, APRIL 28, 2020
PROTOCOLS:
I welcome you all to the flag-off of the Joint Task Force Against Kidnapping, Cultism, Illegal Mining and other related crimes in the State of Osun.
This event is in furtherance of our stringent efforts at ridding Osun of all criminalities and securing the lives and property of the people in line with our constitutional mandate to guarantee security and welfare of the citizens.
Today’s flag-off crystallizes our bottom-up approach to fighting crime as we have involved communities across our State to elicit inputs into our security architecture and operations.
It is also intended to consolidate our achievements and retain the status of Osun as the safest State in Nigeria. The Joint Task Force is a collaboration of the Army, the Police, the Air Force, the Department of State Service, the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps and the Immigration Service, and it shall provide operational support for Amotekun to fight cultism, kidnapping, illegal mining and other related crimes.
All these efforts are aimed at reducing the incursion of criminals into the State.
Security for us is a comprehensive initiative which includes economic, social, political and other spheres. Our social investment programmes such as employment for youths, credit facilities for our people are designed to empower them and eliminate crimes. Indeed, the inclusion of illegal mining as a component of this Joint Task Force is proof that we take our economic and industrial initiatives seriously.
It is our desire to provide adequate security for our economic and investment programmes so that our vision for translating the State into an economic hub can be achieved.
Security is critical to all we do as a government because it is only in an atmosphere of security and safety that our Development Agenda can be achieved and our outcomes protected. In furtherance of our huge investment in security as a way of achieving sustainable development, we shall fund this Joint Task Force to make it effective and functional.
I charge officials of the Joint Task Force to embrace their tasks with all sense of patriotism, integrity, commitment and diligence. I enjoin you to work together as a team, collaborate with other security outfits and employ the spirit of esprit de corps in the discharge of your duties. Eschew all acts that can compromise your calling and effectiveness, including bribery, corruption, high-handedness and executive recklessness.
Let me admonish our people to cooperate with the Joint Task Force as they are at work in our collective interest.
There is no hiding place for men of the underworld in the State of Osun. Today’s flag-off is, therefore, a warning to them to either leave the State of Osun or face the music.
Achieving security is a collective responsibility. It is a path to maintaining our status as a security conscious State, securing our people and attaining economic recovery and transformation for a sustainable, safe and prosperous Osun.
It is, therefore, my pleasure to flag off the Joint Task Force Against Kidnapping, Cultism, Illegal Mining and other related crimes in the State of Osun to the glory of God and the benefit of our people.
Thank you.
Adegboyega Oyetola
Executive Governor
State of Osun
Osogbo
