Governor Seyi Makinde

Gbenro Adesina/Ibadan

Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State on Thursday June 13, 2019 assured the residents of the State that his administration would do everything possible to secure lives and property in the state.

Makinde, who spoke to the protestants through his Chief of Staff, Chief Bisi Ilaka, stated this while addressing members of the Oyo State Nigeria Association of Women Journalists, NAWOJ, an arm of the Nigerian Union of Journalists, NUJ and other stakeholders who were at the state secretariat, Agodi, Ibadan during a peaceful protest march to call attention to the increasing spate of kidnapping and banditry in the Southwest region.

The walk tagged “Walks for Stop The Kidnapping Now” took off from the Mapo Hall and terminating at the Agodi State Secretariat, Ibadan.

The women journalists used the opportunity to present a letter to the governor on their demand for a secured Yoruba states and stoppage of violence against women as well as the implementation of the Child Right Laws in the State.

Makinde assured that the security of lives and properties of the people of Oyo State remains paramount in his mind and would always make it a top priority, stressing that the government had put all measures in place to preempt and forestall kidnap of anyone including high profile individuals.

The Chairperson of Oyo NAWOJ, Mrs Jadesola Ajibola urged the governor to liaise with security stakeholders and traditional rulers in the state to forestall an extension of the kidnap cases and banditry occurring in other Southwest states into Oyo state.

Calling on the governor to start the implementation of the Child Right Laws that have been domesticated in the State Ajibola stated, “We felt that security situation in the country is becoming more alarming and we feel that if we all sit at home and talk about insecurity, it is not enough. We are mothers, we are sisters and we are daughters. We feel that we should not fold our arms on this issue of security. Daily, we hear of the same incident of killings, robbery and kidnapping along Ibadan, Ife, Ikirun and Iwo areas. That is the more reason we need to lend our voice. Also, the spate of child abuse and violence against women in our society is becoming rampant. Next Sunday, ironically is the day of African Child, so we also want to call for the implementation of the Child Right laws. Oyo State has domesticated that law and we are asking that the law should receive implementation”.