The Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has threatened to penalise any ministry, department or agency that fails to submit its salary schedule.
According to a statement in Osogbo on Monday by the governor’s spokesman, Olawale Rasheed, the warning was sent in response to concerns that certain agencies were sticking to their timetables despite the governor’s instruction.
Rasheed said salary payments have started, beginning with the Ministry of Justice.
The statement read in part, “Any ministry, department, or agency that fails to submit its salary schedule by today’s deadline will be sanctioned. Any agency head that obstructs the process of scheduling will face disciplinary procedures.
“This warning is in response to reports that some agencies are still holding to their agency’s schedules despite the directive of His Excellency.
“Governor Ademola Adeleke had last week directed the immediate conclusion of documentation for the payment of salaries. This was a consequence of a report that about 45 agencies are yet to submit their payment schedule. Presently, the payment of salaries is ongoing, starting with the Ministry of Justice.
“Amotekun was designed to be ‘Agro-Rangers’ or farm patrols, so that’s their terrain.
“Provide them with the right surveillance system, like drones, and other intelligence gathering tools, and they’ll flush these boys out of that bush.
“I’ve seen the OPC (Oodua Peoples Congress) boys raid bushes to arrest these people.
“Then state governments should find a way to build trusts amongst the people so that when they see something, they could talk about it.”
Sobona said although there were communities, especially in parts of the South-East and the North, that would not say anything regardless of what they knew about the insecurity in their terrain because of the consequences that might follow from the criminal, governments still needed to build the required trust that would make locals feel free to share intelligence with them.
A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mr Adeboye Dankuwo, in his contribution highlighted some actions that must be taken to curb the menace of kidnappings on Nigeria’s expressways.
Dankuwo said, “We must know the numerical strength, firepower and specific locations of these people in and out of the forest. (The) use and deployment of local intelligence and drone can easily do this.
“Results gathered would be critically analysed, dissected and carefully concluded on.
“Their mode of operation should also be carefully understood.
“A covert but simultaneous operation should be launched on them with the involvement of the state security agencies.
“The operation should be so covert that no news media should be allowed to report it.
“They (the kidnappers) should be wasted once and for all and their cells taken over.”
The secretary of the Forum, Gbenga Odegbile, noted that security agencies needed to be proactive and more concerned about protecting the lives and properties of citizens and making the nation’s highways safe for commuters.
Odegbile advocated adequate and regular presence and patrol of well-equipped and combat-ready security agents on the highways.
He said it was important for governments to introduce security lights and modern technology such as drones, security breach alarms, and CCTV cameras, on expressways across the country.
He also called for synergy and collaboration with locals for first-hand information gathering.
Odegbile added that there was the need for the establishment of special forces trained in guerrilla warfare, saying that most of the terrorists perpetrating the crimes employed guerrilla tactics in their operations.
He also called for the proper equipping of security forces with modern and sophisticated weapons, adding that a robust life insurance policy should be put in place for the security officers.
He further stated that potholes and bad portions on highways should be immediately rehabilitated as criminals used those spots to carry out their attacks.
In addition, the Forum’s scribe advised that police booths/patrol vehicles should be built/stationed on the highways at a reasonable distance from one another.
He also advised travellers to avoid travelling at night, adding that they should always listen to news for updates on states of the roads.
The chairman of the Forum, Mr Adewale Gbadamosi, noted that kidnappers hide under the cover of thick forest and around failed portions of highways to operate, adding that they also hide under the cover of darkness on these highways to attack unsuspecting travellers, killing their victims who could not mobilise the huge ransoms often demanded.
Gbadamosi said solutions to the menace included provision of smooth road infrastructure across the length and breadth of the nation, especially on highways, by governments across all levels; lighting up of all the nation’s highways; deployment of technology, including drones and installation of CCTV cameras on the highways can also play a very big role if CCTV cameras are installed on the highways monitored from a central station, coupled with regular police patrols.
He added that reviewing the nation’s laws on kidnapping and making kidnapping offence to attract death sentence would discourage potential kidnappers.
The convener of The People’s Forum, Wasiu Olowu, urged the federal and state governments to consider the suggested solutions given by members of the Forum and other well-meaning Nigerians and nip the menace of kidnappings in the bud once and for all.
