Governor Makinde begs US to help tackle insecurity in Oyo

Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has called on the United States government to assist the state in tackling insecurity.

Makinde made the appeal when receiving the new United States Consul General, Williams Stevens, who paid him a courtesy visit at the Governor’s Office, in Agodi, Ibadan, on Monday.

Makinde who was represented by his Deputy, Adebayo Lawal, said insecurity in the state and Nigeria as a whole was becoming endemic, and stressed that Oyo would welcome whatever technology was required to combat the menace.

“Initially, we thought we could localise this issue of security, but it has become a hydra-headed phenomenon,” the Governor said.

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“We must give it to you that if you choose to assist, you can be deliberate, and we will encourage you to assist and partner the Oyo state government in the area of security.

“We know security is key, and we have really deployed a greater percentage of resources into security development.

“Since the inception of this administration, we have put in place an outfit called ‘Amotekun’ to complement the efforts of our conventional security outfits – police, Department of State Security and others that are national in nature. Amotekun is domesticated, localised and goes into the nooks and crannies of our communities to ensure our environments are safe.”

Makinde further told Stevens that the Oyo government wanted a partnership with the U.S. in the agriculture and health sectors, maintaining that the government would strengthen its partnership to deepen a mutually-beneficial relationship on business, entertainment, technology and good governance, among others.

“Our government is looking forward to using the opportunities and mutually-beneficial partnerships with the United States to better the lives of residents and create an atmosphere where businesses could thrive,” he said.

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