Governors’ Forum blast Malami, IGP over CSP treated Sanwo-Olu like a school prefect

Ilesanmi AdekanbiJanuary 5, 2022

3 minutes read

South-West Governors Forum has attacked the Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami and the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Usman Alkali Baba over a Chief Superintendent of Police, CSP treated Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos like a school prefect.

The governors’ forum condemned the incident that occurred in the Magodo Phase 2 Estate area of Lagos State where a Police CSP, failed to listen to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s instruction over the invasion of the estate by policemen.

In a statement issued by the governors, which the Chairman of the South West Governors’ Forum, Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, personally signed, stated that the attitude of the CSP was not only disgraceful but also disconcerting.

In a viral video on Tuesday, the police officer was seen to be replying to the Lagos State Governor who had gone to Mogodo residential estate to mediate over the land dispute, that only the Inspector General of Police, IGP, and the Attorney General of Federal can instruct him to leave the estate with his men.

While describing the incident as a brazen assault on decency, Akeredolu in the statement issued on Wednesday lashed out at the Attorney General, Abubakar Malami over his role in the situation as he termed it an “act of gross moral turpitude.”

Akeredolu who also stated that the IGP must explain the justification for the intrusion maintained that President Muhammadu Buhari must reign in the excesses of those under him.

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The Chairman of the South West Governors who assured Sanwo-Olu of his colleagues’ support, however, advised the Lagos State Governor to deploy the Amotekun Corps for effective protection and security of his people.

“We are in possession of a video which has gone viral on the social media concerning the disgraceful exchange between a police officer, a CSP, and the Governor of Lagos State, Mr Babajide Sanwoolu, the supposed Chief Security Officer of the State, at the Magodo Residential Estate.

“The content of the video is very disconcerting, and this is being charitable. The utter disrespect, which underlines the response of the officer to the Governor establishes, beyond doubt, the impracticability of the current system, dubiously christened “Federalism”.

“An arrangement, which compels the Governor of a State to seek clarifications on security issues in his jurisdiction from totally extraneous bodies or persons, is a sure recipe for anarchy.

“We condemn, very strongly, this brazen assault on decency. We call on the IG to explain the justification for this intrusion. This is not acceptable. Any expectations of rapprochement between 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 IG 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 condemn very strongly, this brazen assault on decency. We call on the IG to explain the justification for this intrusion. This is not acceptable. Any expectations of rapprochement between 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 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.

“We call on the President and Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces 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.