APC guber primary: Osun govt raises the alarm over fake NSCDC operatives, warns against violence

 

.Coalition fingers   Aregbesola on sinister plot

.Govt sponsoring attacks on me, says minister

 

Blessing Akorowosi, Osogbo and Obiora Ifoh, Abuja

 

 

 

Osun State Goverment has raised alarm over the deployment of fake Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC) officers and Nigerian Correctional Service (NCS) personnel into the state ahead of the All Progressives Congress (APC) primary election.

 

The APC primary election in Osun State is scheduled to hold on Saturday, February 19, 2022.

 

In a statement issued by the Commissioner for information and Civic orientation, Funke Egbemode, on Thursday, the state government warned that security operatives have been put on the alert to nab law breakers.

 

“We are in possession of an intelligence report indicating that some persons have stockpiled the uniforms of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps , NSCDC, and the Nigerian Correctional Service with an intent to distribute them to non-state actors for use during the All Progressives Congress, APC,  governorship primary election in Osun.

 

“We want to warn those behind this nefarious plot to jettison the idea as security operatives have been put on the alert and mandated to deal decisively with anyone bent on causing violence and destruction in Osun State.

 

“Osun is known for peace, and as a responsive and responsible government, we are ready to take all legitimate steps to guard the enviable status very jealously,” the statement read.

 

The State government urged parents and guardians to rein in their children and wards so as not to lend themselves to be used as instruments of violence.

 

However, President Muhammadu Buhari and the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) have been urged to either sack or call Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola to order, even as the former governor is accused of causing civil unrest in Osun state ahead of the party governorship primary election slated for Saturday 19th, 2022.

 

 

The Osun former governor and his successor Adegboyega Oyetola have been in a political battle over the control of ruling party in Osun state.

 

 

Addressing a press conference Thursday in Abuja, a coalition of civil society organisations and groups from the state of Osun which include; The Osun Masterminds, Transparency and Accountability Group (TAG), Centre for Sustainable Dialogue (CSD), Oodua Youth Parliament (OYP), Osun Young Professionals (OYP), Nigerians for Good Governance (NGG) among others groups.

 

 

But Aregbesola while asking the general public to “discountenance the rent-a-crowd pseudo-NGOs” also accused Osun state government of governor Oyetola of mounting “a campaign of calumny against the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) because they were providing security for some citizens in Osun while they hold meetings and warded off attacks against them.”

 

 

Speaking on behalf of the groups Dr. Wasiu Oyedokun Alli, the stakeholders and good-spirited CSOs expected quick action of the President to forestall crisis in Osun state.

 

 

“That if the federal government, under President Muhammadu Buhari, fails to call Mr. Rauf Aregbesola to order and charge him to focus on his official responsibilities instead of going about causing civil unrest, he will end up inflaming the otherwise peaceful Osun state.

 

 

“Where he cannot be cautioned, we demand his outright sack or redeployment if he cannot act responsibly in line with the dictates of the Office he presently holds. A Public Officer must never be seen acting contrary to the spirit and provisions of the Nigerian constitution.

 

 

“Where the federal government is unable to act swiftly to caution Mr. Aregbesola, the Senate of the Federal Republic must show capacity by sanctioning his sack and impress it on Mr. President to effect same. Failure to do this will obviously bring disrepute to the exalted office of the Honourable Minister.”

 

 

According to the coalition, Aregbesola in the past one week has engaged in public shows of rascality, encouragement of followers to behave in manners that undermine the superintendence of the present administration in the state, denigration of elder statesmen, among many others.

 

 

“We reckon that a public officer, expected to act in manners that promote public security, but who is seen making utterances that encourage violence, insubordination and disrespect to constituted authority, is acting a script that can only promote disunity, acrimony and unrest.

 

 

“We state unequivocally that recent utterances of the Minister of Interior, are today heating the polity in Osun state to a point where residents now fear for their lives. While we understand the expediency of political games, we do not see any reason why a government official will be leading a process that is leading to unrest.”

 

 

Dr. Alli said: “While superintending over Security Agencies under the Ministry of Interior, Mr. Rauf Aregbesola, has now turned security details attached to him by these Agencies into tools of political warfare, clearly undermining the jurisdiction of the Nigeria Police Force in maintaining security in Osun state.

 

 

“We have seen recently how men of the NSCDC, the NIS and the NCS sporadically shot in the air to terrify citizens of the State in Osogbo and other towns within the State. We refer to the official release of the Osun State Police Command, concerning the actions of men of the NSCDC, NIS and NCS.”

 

 

Responding to some of the allegations raised by the group, Minister of Interior through his spokesman Sola Fasure, asked Nigerians to disregard the “the rent-a-crowd pseudo-NGOs” adding that they were misguided.

 

 

Fasure said: “It is on record that on Monday whilst returning from a well-attended political sensitization rally in Ilesa, known hoodlums attacked the convoy of the Minister as he approached the popular Old Garage junction in Osogbo.

 

 

“His convoy comprising of well-trained officers of the Department of State Security, The Nigeria Police Force (charged with protecting the minister) and other security personnel drawn from the Paramilitary services, professionally responded to the daring attackers who were armed with diverse sophisticated weapons.

 

 

“Having failed to achieve their mission of killing the minister on Monday, the sponsors of the evil plot have now resorted to smearing his name, hoping to achieve through the back door, what they can’t get fairly on the field.

 

 

“For the avoidance of doubt, the minister is aware of his constitutional role as a member of the governing cabinet, a leading light of the ruling All Progressives Congress and as the Minister of Interior, charged with providing security for the nation.

 

 

“However, the Minister, just like other Nigerians, also has the democratic right of association as enshrined in our constitution. This, in our opinion, doesn’t deserve the murder of any Nigerian, talk-less of a serving minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”