Local hunters in Ogbomoso zone of Oyo state have protested their exclusion from the new security outfit being put up by the Oyo state government.
Speaking on the matter the Oluode of Ogbomoso South local government, Chief Adebayo Amos Abiade, said they frowned at the exclusion of their members in the new security outfit.According to Chief Abiade, local hunters are by tradition and nature the best equipped to rummage the forests and that they are better positioned to track bandits and other criminals who have made forests their dens. “We heard of the new security outfit being put together under the purview of the state government,’ the Oluode told ogbomosoinsightonline.com. “Governor Seyi Makinde directed each local government to have a pool of fifty men to constitute the outfit in each local government.
“However, in four local governments in Ogbomoso zone i.e. Ogbomoso North and South, Surulere and Ogo-Oluwa, we were not consulted before nominations were made implying we are not represented whereas we are the best suited for the job.
“And in other zones especially Oke-Ogun the state’s patron of local hunters, Chief Ojoawo, was contacted and he submitted all the names which included that of Oriire local government. In other zones too local hunters were included. This was confirmed during our state meeting last Tuesday at Ibadan. That made us from Ogbomoso zone to register our displeasure.“Local hunters are familiar with the forests, it is from prowling the forests we partly make our living. We know the tracks, we fight supernatural beings and wild beasts on a daily basis so what is banditry, but we are being excluded,” he lamented. He consequently appealed to Governor Makinde and the Oyo State House of Assembly to intervene to get their members included, submitting, “We are willing and ready to work for Governor Seyi Makinde to protect the state from the banditry menace.”
Also speaking the Oluode Soun of Ogbomosoland who is head of all local hunters in the zone Chief Ayobami Akintola said “It is unbelievable that people who live for something are not considered for it. We are excluded and we want to express our displeasure. If we are serious about protecting our land from the looming terrorists attacks local hunters must be brought into the frame. We are forest adventurers, we know the name the forest bears. We know the nooks and crannies from birth. Excluding us is like excluding soldiers from protecting the territorial integrity of a nation. This is a serious matter that must be taken seriously. Competence must be considered.”Ogbomoso Insight spoke with the chairman of Ogbomoso North local government Hon George Ogunlade on phone but he said it was not the way being put.
“True the governor during an expanded state security meeting that encompassed traditional rulers last December instructed us to come up with 50 names per local government to constitute a new security outfit,” Hon Ogunlade informed.
“For us in Ogbomoso North, we used to have ad-hoc security staff who had worked for years collecting paltry amount as salaries. So, we recalled and included some of them. There are traditional hunters Kabiyesi the Soun recruited and paid monthly salary to, to secure the city, so, we also considered some of them. So, that is the criterion we adopted in Ogbomoso North.”Efforts to speak with other council chairmen in Ogbomoso zone were unsuccessful as calls put to their mobile phones were not answered.
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