Governors, under the South West Governors Forum, have described a Police officer’s disrespect to Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State as an unacceptable intrusion.
This is contained in a statement signed and made available to newsmen by Gov. Oluwarotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State, Chairman Southwest Governors Forum, on Wednesday in Akure.
The governors explained that the forum is in possession of the video which had gone viral on social media concerning the disgraceful exchange between a police officer, a CSP, and Gov. Babajide Sanwoolu, the Chief Security Officer of the Lagos State, at the Magodo Residential Estate.
The governors said that the content of the video is very disconcerting, adding that the utter disrespect underlined the response of the officer to the governor.
He said this disrespect established, beyond doubt, the impracticability of the current system, “dubiously” christened “Federalism”.
Akeredolu described an arrangement that compels the governor of a state to seek clarifications on security issues in his jurisdiction from totally extraneous bodies or persons as a recipe for anarchy.
“We condemn, very strongly, this brazen assault on decency. We call on the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to explain the justification for this intrusion. This is not acceptable.
“Any expectations of rapprochement between the so-called federating units and federal security agencies are becoming forlorn, progressively, due to deliberate acts which mock our very avowal to ethics and professionalism.
“We condemn, in very clear terms, the role of the Attorney General of the Federation, Mr Abubakar Malami (SAN), in this act of gross moral turpitude.
“We, on our part, will continue to interrogate the current system, which treats elected representatives of the people as mere prefects, while appointed office holders ride roughshod over them as Lords of the Manor.
“If the purported Chief Security Officers of the States of the Federation require clearance from the office of the IGP on matters within their areas of jurisdictions, only hypocrites will wonder why the current security crisis deepens and there appears to be no solution in the foreseeable future.
“We stand by our brother, the Governor of Lagos State. We advise him to deploy the Regional security outfit in the State to protect the lives and property of the people,” the governors said.
The governors, therefore, called on President Muhammadu Buhari to rein in the excesses of certain elements bent on acting in a manner capable of eroding the bond of trust existing between the people and the Federal Government.
“It is preposterous for political appointees to seek to undermine the very structure of service upon which their appointments rest on,” the governors said.
