BY REBECCA AJANI
GOVERNOR Seyi Makinde of Oyo State has said he will not allow those he described as fifth columnists to destabilise the state.
He said he would do everything to restore the peaceful atmosphere that Oyo State was known for, while condemning insinuations in some quarters that his government did not react early enough to the crisis that rocked some parts of the state at the weekend.
The Governor, who spoke through the Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism in the state, Wasiu Olatubosun, said the government waded in immediately the Shasha market crisis broke out, noting that the major stakeholders involved were invited and pacified while security operatives were promptly deployed to the area to maintain peace.
“It is unfair for anybody to say the government has not done enough to nip insecurity in the bud. Governor Seyi Makinde is one of the governors in Nigeria that always make all possible efforts at ensuring peace in his State,” Olatubosun said.
“He never for any reason abandoned his role as the Chief Security Officer of the State, and you can see that he has brought calm to Ibarapa and Oke-Ogun zones after the recent hullabaloo there,” he added.
He appealed to the people of the state to work with the government and security agencies towards ending criminal activities and improving efforts at growing the economy of Oyo State.
He indicated that politicians were trying to score a political point by hiding behind such crisis, noting that they should be seen as enemies of the people.
On those he described as fifth columnists, he said, “We have seen and heard them; politics should not be introduced into the important issue of security of lives and properties of our people. They should know for sure that this administration will not allow anything that will create fear for investors and business concerns to come into our state and create wealth for our people.
“It is in maintaining peace that we will keep businesses thriving and attract more investments. That is when we will maximise job opportunities and improve on our revenue generation to develop social infrastructure.
“So, if they think they should disrupt the peace in the land because of politics, they should be told that they have Governor Makinde to contend with.”
