Akeredolu’s state police vision will become reality, says Aiyedatiwa
By Julius Alabi, Akure
Ondo State Governor, Hon Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa, has declared that the late Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu’s advocacy for the establishment of State Police would eventually become a reality.
According to him, Akeredolu ideas had moved beyond regional agitation to occupy a central place in Nigeria’s national policy and constitutional discourse.
Aiyedatiwa, who described the late governor as “My Oga,” spoke at an event commemorating Akeredolu’s 70th birthday, where stakeholders renewed calls for decentralised policing and stronger community participation in the nation’s security architecture.
The governor said Akeredolu’s ideas remained relevant to Nigeria’s search for lasting solutions to insecurity, stressing that his greatest legacy was not the offices he occupied but the courage with which he pursued causes he believed would advance the common good.
He recalled Akeredolu’s service as Attorney-General of Ondo State, President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Governor of Ondo State, Chairman of the South-West Governors’ Forum and Chairman of the Southern Nigeria Governors’ Forum.
According to him, Akeredolu combined legal scholarship with courage and a commitment to justice, while his advocacy for true federalism was driven by practical concerns rather than political rhetoric.
Aiyedatiwa recalled that as insecurity intensified across the country, Akeredolu and other South-West governors established the South-West Security Network, Amotekun, on the argument that communities closest to security threats should have a meaningful role in protecting themselves.
He said recent operations involving the Amotekun Corps, the Department of State Services, Nigerian Army and other security agencies in Ondo State had further demonstrated the importance of local intelligence and community participation in combating insecurity.
The governor said the initiative, which emerged partly from the farmer-herder crisis, had since evolved into an important component of the South-West security architecture.
He said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had demonstrated commitment to moving the State Police debate towards institutional reform, adding that Akeredolu’s vision should provide part of the foundation for a responsive, accountable and professional policing system.
Aiyedatiwa, however, stressed that the establishment of State Police must be accompanied by credible recruitment, thorough vetting and adequate safeguards against abuse.
He said the most fitting tribute to Akeredolu would be the emergence of a Nigeria that is safer, more federal and responsive to the needs of citizens, with a security system capable of understanding communities at the grassroots and gathering intelligence before threats escalate.
The governor also pledged to sustain Akeredolu’s legacy, saying his administration had continued with several projects initiated by the late governor, particularly road projects discussed during Executive Council meetings.
He said Akeredolu had worked with the understanding that his successor would complete projects he could not finish during his tenure.
In his keynote address, Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, said Nigeria required an additional 554,353 police personnel to meet the United Nations-recommended police-to-citizen ratio.
Abiodun, Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum Committee on State Police, called for comprehensive reforms to ensure that State Police, when established, would be effective and sustainable.
He said Akeredolu’s vision went beyond security hardware to the relationship between security and economic development, noting that the late governor also contributed to the groundwork for the South-West Development Commission.
“A secure region is a prosperous region,” Abiodun said, adding that Amotekun had demonstrated the value of community intelligence and rapid response in tackling insecurity.
He said the initiative pioneered by Akeredolu and other South-West governors had strengthened security in the region, declaring that the “seeds Aketi sowed have matured into a national consensus.”
Former Ekiti State Governor and former Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, Kayode Fayemi, described Akeredolu as a defender of the defenceless and a courageous voice who consistently spoke truth to power.
Fayemi said Akeredolu was a “man of many parts” who related with both the elite and ordinary citizens and remained committed to the common good.
He recalled Akeredolu’s role in the Southern Governors’ Forum, particularly his insistence on the rotation of the presidency to the South, despite political party considerations.
According to Fayemi, Akeredolu’s interventions were driven by his desire for a prosperous, united, safe and secure Nigeria.
Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, described the late Ondo State Governor as a steadfast and courageous voice for the interests, dignity and security of the South-West.
Sanwo-Olu, represented by the Lagos State Secretary to the State Government, Barrister Salu Hundeyin, said Akeredolu regarded leadership as responsibility rather than privilege and demonstrated conviction and courage in confronting challenges affecting his people.
Sanwo-Olu urged Nigerians to draw courage from Akeredolu’s convictions and leadership example.
“Aketi may no longer be with us, but his example remains. His voice may have fallen, but the cause for which he stood continues to speak,” he said.
Ekiti State Governor, Biodun Oyebanji, said Akeredolu’s response to insecurity contributed significantly to the establishment of Amotekun.
Represented by the Secretary to the Ekiti State Government, Prof. Habibat Omolara Adubiaro, Oyebanji said Akeredolu and other South-West governors stood together, irrespective of political affiliation, in confronting insecurity.
He urged the governors to deepen regional integration and challenged the South-West Development Commission to undertake ambitious projects capable of transforming the region.
The Director-General of the Development Agenda for Western Nigeria Commission, Dr Seye Oyeleye, said Akeredolu championed decentralised policing because Nigeria could no longer rely solely on a police force controlled from Abuja.
Oyeleye said Amotekun had demonstrated that state and regional policing could work when supported by local intelligence and community participation.
Akeredolu’s first son, Oluwarotimi O. Akeredolu Jr, described his father as an advocate of justice, human rights, political freedom and accountable government.
He recalled his father’s activism as a student, his legal career, participation in the June 12 struggle, opposition to the 2012 fuel price increase and sustained campaign against insecurity.
The event was attended by Aiyedatiwa’s wife, Mrs Esther Aiyedatiwa; Speaker of the Ondo State House of Assembly, Olamide Oladiji; Secretary to the State Government, Dr Taiwo Fasoranti.
Other are State Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Kolawole Babatunde; Chief of Staff to the Governor, Prince Segun Omojuwa; serving and former members of the State Executive Council and other political leaders.
