The founder of Glory Land International Christian Centre, Bishop Dola Adeoye Salako, on Sunday, remarked that it’s high time, Western Nigeria Security Networks (codenamed Operation Amotekun) be allowed to carry heavy weapons that can match the bandits’ and terrorists’ firepower to reduce the spate of criminal acts in the society.
The clergy who made the assertion on the occasion of his 60th birth anniversary in Osun State condemned the incessant attack by bandits on churches which crippled evangelical works saying, “the worsening security situation in the country calling on stakeholders to rise to the occasion.”
According to him, “Amotekun is a good initiative but I am not happy that they are yet to be licensed to carry sophisticated weapons like A-K 47 and others.
“Why are they limited and restricted to dare guns? Why are they not exposed to modern-day training? Why is the Federal Government not happy about the outfit? I think these are questions begging for answers.
” I give kudos to the governors of the South West for the establishment of Amotekun but I am not happy with the restrictions in the level of their operations. They should be licensed to carry guns, I mean sophisticated weapons. They should work hand in hand with the Nigerian police force.
“They should work in synergy with the NPF and the State Security outfit Amotekun. They should be given adequate freedom to perform their duties. If there is a cooperation between the two bodies, there is going to be a commendable improvement in our security system.”
He, however, gave kudos to the South West governors who established the Amotekun security outfit Maintaining that they should not rest on their oasis until the region is free from bandits, terrorists and kidnappers.
Speaking on Children now engage in immoralities, he pointed out that, “parents have failed in their responsibilities. The Government has failed us even though the Villa is not safe. Bandits went as far as killing some Presidential guards. Security has collapsed. Nothing is working.
“ASUU has been on strike since February 14, 2022. Crimes, criminals and criminalities have grown in leaps and bounds. But in all circumstances, I have every cause to celebrate. I give glory to God Almighty. Ours is a land flowing with blood but I have the hope that after the dark clouds, there is definitively going to be a silver lining.”
While frowning at a society where the laws are for the poor and not the rich, he worried why the rich who involved in criminal acts would be untouchable when they were supposed to be brought to the book to serve as a deterrent to others.
He stressed also that, religious bodies cause crimes In churches and mosques saying,” we celebrate the rich who pay very high tithes. We don’t query the sources of their wealth. The rich sit at the front in churches while the poor are at the back.”
The clergy who charged the government to provide youths with employment to reduce crime in society said, able-bodied youth can do anything criminal to survive.
According to him, “the devil finds work for the idle hand. Our communities too harbour criminals. They live in our midst. We accommodate them. We protect them and fail to expose them. This promotes criminalities.”
On the work of God, he remarked, “I feel honoured to be alive today to the glory of God. Through His divine grace, here I am in sound health through His mercies, I can count another year. It is not by my might, but through His protection, I am still a living soul. It has not been easy. There are lots of challenges here and there. We have challenges in our state. We have in our Ministry.”
Eminent personalities who came from all works of life to grace the occasion include the Osun State Governor-elect, Senator Adeleke Adeleke, amongst others.
