Main opposition party in Kwara State, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has criticized Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq for allegedly holding a security meeting with Kwara South stakeholders under the mango tree.
The party, in a statement by the spokesman, Olusola Adewara, in Ilorin on Sunday, described “Governor AbdulRazaq’s recent so-called strategic security meeting in Kwara South as a wicked mockery of the traumatized people of Babanla, Ganmu Ahileri, and other communities affected by the unchecked escalating insecurity across the state.”
DAILY POST recalls that five people, including a police officer, Adejumo Wasiu, were killed on Friday when armed bandits invaded Babanla community in the Ifelodun Local Government Area of the state.
They also attacked the Divisional Police Headquarters and the market in the community.
Adewara said “a meeting held under a mango tree with some members of the APC and their security orderlies was not a befitting response to the horrible deterioration of security in the state, particularly in Ifelodun local government area of the state.”
According to the party, what had been happening in communities within Ifelodun local government area in recent weeks, particularly the tragic incident in Babanla on Friday, where hundreds of armed bandits invaded the community market to loot foodstuffs, kill, and abduct residents including security officers, was both unfortunate and deeply disturbing.
The party described “the sad incident as a glaring failure of leadership, noting that such tragedies should have no place in a state with a sitting governor.
“It also expressed dismay that since the attack occurred, the governor, who is the chief security officer of the state, has not visited Babanla to personally assess the situation, condole families of the victims, or engage directly with the affected community.”
“Instead of visiting the community, the governor chose to attend a symbolic gathering in Omu-Aran in another local government area, which his aides called a ‘Strategic Kwara South Security Meeting.’ What exactly was strategic about the meeting?” The party queried.
The PDP asserted that the governor’s so-called “strategic meeting” was nothing more than a poorly stage-managed photo session that failed to address the escalating insecurity in Babanla, Ganmu Ahileri, and neighbouring communities in Ifelodun local government.
It said further: “How can Governor Abdulrazaq be holding security meetings under a mango tree and in the absence of key stakeholders? Chairmen of concerned local governments or their representatives were not in attendance?
“Traditional leaders, religious leaders, and vigilante groups are not in attendance. What sort of strategic security meetings are held with just APC members and the Governor’s orderlies paraded as the security chief?
The PDP alleged that Governor Abdulrazaq rejected suggestions to visit Babanla and neighbouring communities on the grounds that they were too far and that the roads leading to the area were in a deplorable condition.
“If it was during an election period, would he not have gone there to solicit votes? It shows the governor has no regard for the people who voted him into office,” the statement added.
Kwara PDP criticizes gov Abdulrazaq’s security meeting allegedly held under mango tree
