The Aare Onakakanfo of Yorubaland, Chief Gani Adams, has urged the Federal Government to treat the deplorable road networks as a national emergency to reduce insecurity in the country.
Adams stated this at the quarterly meeting of the 15th Aare Onakakanfo-in-Council, on Monday in Lagos.
He also advised all the 36 State Governors to do the same, arguing that there was a nexus between the deplorable state of the roads and crimes like kidnapping and armed banditry, among others.
The Aare Onakakanfo noted that fixing the roads was a sure way of impeding the activities of criminals who had turned their evil enterprise to mega business across the country.
Adams also urged the South-West governors to intensify efforts on the zone’s flagship security initiative, code-named ‘Amotekun’ for the preservation of lives and property in the region.
He said: “I urged the Yoruba to support the governors of South-West to ensure total emancipation of the region as a way of achieving peace, security and stability.
“I implore them to invest heavily in agriculture, including livestock production and strategic storage.
“They should also ensure concerted exploitation of the region’s fertile soil and clement climate to feed the teeming populace in the zone and gainfully engage the spiralling population of its unemployed youths.
“This is a panacea to the prevailing criminal activities among that segment of our national population.”
Adams specifically commended the Inspector-General of Police, Mr Mohammed Adamu, for his decision to support and collaborate with the Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC) and other private security organisations to stamp out crime and criminality in the region.
He also lauded the national initiative to move Nigeria from a mono- economy, based on petroleum, to diversification to other areas of economic activities.
Another major decision taken by the Aare Onakakanfo-in-Council, Adams said, was the resolve to shift the celebration of his second installation anniversary earlier slated for Jan. 13, to Jan. 15.
He explained that the anniversary was in deference to the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Olayiwola, who would be celebrating his 49th anniversary on the throne on Jan. 13.
Adams noted that the council had decided that henceforth, his installation anniversary would hold on every Jan. 15.
