The Senior Special Assistant to Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa on Security, Mr Gbenga Atiba, declared on Tuesday that the governor had not hired any private firm to protect farmers in the forest reserves across the state.
A private security firm, Global Olabod Resources Limited, had earlier claimed that the governor had engaged its services to coordinate all security agencies in the state, in response to the outcry of farmers being threatened by hoodlums on their farmlands.
The chairman of the company, Mr Eniola Ogunbodede, through one of his managers, Mr Debo Ariyo, stated at a meeting with farmers in Idanre Local Government Area last week, “The state governor (Aiyedatiwa) wants food to be available for all in the state; that is why he has to protect farmers on their farmlands across the state through us, Global Olabod Resources Limited. We are coordinating all security agencies in the state to implement this initiative and achieve great success for the benefit of all.”
However, the SSA, in a statement on Tuesday, said that the claim made by the company’s chairman was a
misrepresentation of the facts.
He clarified that the state government’s engagement with the firm was solely for the identification and enumeration of farmers to provide the government with accurate and reliable data.
The statement read, “It is important to clarify that the state government currently enjoys a strong and cooperative relationship with all security agencies, including the Armed Forces, Police, Civil Defence Corps, and the state’s homeland security unit, Amotekun. Most notably, these security agencies in the state have been performing admirably in fulfilling their duty to protect the lives and property of the state’s residents.
“The engagement of Global Olabod Resources Limited by the state government is specifically for the identification and enumeration of farmers in the state, to provide the government with accurate and reliable data. It is inappropriate for a privately-owned firm to claim or assume the role of coordinating all the security agencies in the state— especially in a state where government officials are already tasked with such responsibilities.
“Under the capable leadership of Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, the state government will continue to collaborate with all relevant federal security agencies to ensure the safety and security of the entire state and its inhabitants. The general public can rest assured that both federal and state security agencies will not shirk their responsibilities in safeguarding the lives and property of the people.