Kwara South: APC Chieftain Urges Prompt Fund Raising To Tackle Insecurity
Stephen Olufemi Oni, Ilorin
A Chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and a community leader in Kwara State, Engineer Opeyemi Olabanji, has advocated a collective fund raising approach by prominent citizens of the Kwara South Senatorial District to curtail the activities of bandits in the area.
Olabanji, in a press conference in Ilorin, the state capital, lamented that the attacks have plundered the vast resources of his agrarian people, by preventing them from practicing their age-long farming.
He urged the people of the area to pool their resources together, especially money towards setting up credible security networks and systems to complement “the credible efforts” of Governor AbdulRahaman AbdulRazaq, at securing the area.
The APC stalwart, who proposed a sum of N5bn as take-off for the security network, added that such funds could be in the custody of a prominent traditional ruler in the area.
He said: “First, let me commend and appreciate the Government of Kwara State, our seven local governments, and our traditional institutions for all they are doing. Many of their efforts cannot be publicly detailed for security reasons, yet we must acknowledge and commend them.
“As rightly said by the Chairman of Ifelodun Local Government Area (Femi Yusuf) in his recent address, security is a collective responsibility. Historically, security has always been the responsibility of both the government and the people. For effective security, the people must complement the efforts of government. It is in this vein that I make the following points on the security challenges currently facing our communities in Kwara South.”
Believing that none of the settlements in the area could survive whatever onslaught in isolation, Olabanji stressed the need for the people of Kwara South to make their security system homogeneous as done by some geo-political zones in Nigeria.
He added: “It is therefore impossible for any individual community or enclave to ensure security in isolation. Even if you succeed in securing your village or community, as long as your neighboring community is vulnerable, you too remain vulnerable. For an effective response to the security challenges we face, the effort must be collective across Kwara South.
“We must jointly protect and secure our northern frontiers in collaboration with the frontier communities.Security requires enormous resources. Combating insecurity demands significant resources. Security apparatus such as patrol vans, motorcycles, communication devices, surveillance equipment, uniforms, medical support, defense tools, training and even traditional fortification of defenders are all resources oriented.
“With many compelling needs, the government may not always be able to provide all that is required. Since security is a shared responsibility, the people must be willing to contribute towards providing the resources needed to safeguard their environment and communities.
“With our renowned spirit of self-help, we have built schools, hospitals, and even roads to complement the efforts of government. Perhaps it is time for us to reawaken and redirect this same spirit towards securing our communities. In fact, we just may have to slow down on other developmental efforts and instead focus on fighting insecurity. With insecurity, the schools we build will no longer be attended, the hospitals we build will not be visited and the roads we build will be deserted.”
Olabanji believed that the sub Yoruba ethnic groups comprising Igbomina, Ekiti and Ibollo that make up Kwara South are blessed with notable sons and daughters who would not want their ancestral homes to be in ruins or be desolate.
For him, “it is time for us to come together and raise funds to fight insecurity. Lingua franca and cultural orientation play significant role in any security arrangement. Fortunately, Kwara South is monolingual and monocultural in nature. These count in our favour. What is left for us now is the resources, put at about ₦5bn to wage effective war against insecurity. It may be christened ‘Kwara South Security Fund’ (KSSF).
“Therefore I believe it is proper and just for our people to contribute collectively rather than pay ransoms individually.The time has come for us to tax ourselves. From the lowest to the highest.
From farmers, traders, artisans, businessmen and women, workers and all that are of Kwara South. We must adopt all fundraising modalities like; launchings, galas, walks and digital fundraising such as; crowdfunding, peer-to-peer campaigns, and online donation platforms), and direct appeals.”
Olabanji, from Ijan-Otun in Irepodun LGA of the state, listed other strategies as; corporate sponsorships and grants, leveraging matching gift programs, pursuing opportunities like legacy gifts and in-kind donations.
He added, “for those that may be concerned about the management of the funds, the solution is accountability. The fund can be placed under the leadership of a first-class traditional ruler unanimously agreed upon by our traditional institutions. In addition, community development associations, respected men and women of integrity, political representatives, and local government officials can also be part of the management structure.Let us act now before it is too late.”
To demonstrate his belief in this arrangement, he promised an unspecified amount of money as the pilot fund for the project urging others to expedite actions on it before it would be too late.