Gov. Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti on Friday said that governors in the South West were planning a western Nigeria security network in an effort to tackle security challenges in the country.
Fayemi made the disclosure while fielding questions from newsmen on the sideline of the first Governors’ Lecture Series of the Mass Communication Department of the University of Lagos in conjuction with the university’s Multi Media Centre of Excellence.
The lecture is an annual communication in governance agenda setting initiative.
“For us in South West, we deliberated on this over the last couple of months and have met with our traditional institutions.
“We have also met with our non-state actors in the field of security, as well as our self-determination group, and we have come up with a western Nigeria security network that is going to be announced soon.
“By then, you will have a full picture of what we are doing,’’ Fayemi said.
The governor noted that the main security outfits in the country were intensifying efforts to fight crimes but said thatmore needed to be done.
“We want it sustained and comprehensive.
“There is a longer term response to insecurity, and we cannot remove it from correlation to other challenges.
“There are economic challenges, inequality in the land and poverty in the society.
“There is a direct correlation between insecurity and inequality, and we must tackle that by ensuring that we create an enabling environment for jobs to be provided for Nigerians seeking to work,” he said.
According to Fayemi, it is not every Nigerian who wants to work but those seeking to work ought to be able to find jobs.
“It may not be necessarily the type of jobs they are looking for; we need to also improve on our entrepreneurial skills.
“This will ensure self-reliance, add value to them and the society at large,’’ he said.
On ministerial appointments, Fayemi said that the appointees were tested.
“To the best of my knowledge, having served as a minister in this country, I think the new appointees are truly tested politicians and technocrats in their own rights.”
According to him, the returnees are people of substance and the new ones, particularly that from his state, decent, honest and credible.
Fayemi expressed confidence that Chief Otunba Adeniyi Adebayo, from Ekiti, would excel in the Ministry of Trade and Investment.
