By Alaba Olusola Oke
Akure, Aug. 13, 2023
The Olowo of Owo in Ondo State, Oba Ajibade Ogunoye, has tasked governments at all levels to implement quick and immediate palliative measures in order to alleviate hardship in the country.
Ogunoye, who spoke to the News Agency of Nigeria NAN) on telephone on Sunday, said that there was an urgent need for government to be responsive to reducing hardship to checkmate growing insecurity in the country.
“The issue of survival through food is important. This is why government must ensure that immediate and general palliatives are available for Nigerians, though we know that things will pick up for the better.
“When people don’t have means of livelihood, it will make them to engage in activities that are criminal in nature,” he said.
He urged governments to get youths engaged in meaningful activities that could transform the country.
“When the youths are not gainfully engaged or employed, they are free and they don’t have anything to do than to take care of their needs because they want to survive at all costs.
“And availability of drugs here and there is complicating issues. When they take drugs, they don’t even bother and at any length again, they could do anything.
“That is why government must do everything possible to fight those people behind activities of hard drugs. Anyone on drug could go into kidnapping, armed robbery, rape and any form of criminal activities,” he said.
The traditional ruler expressed optimism that the Tinubu-led government would address some of these challenges.
The Olowo explained that government should also provide sound and quality education that could tailor the minds of youths to creativity.
He, however, disagreed with some calls that there should peace agreement with criminal elements, saying that such agreement would escalate more faces of insecurity in the country.
“At a time, Niger Delta fighters were fighting for their environmental right. And it was put on the table and addressed. Government addressed it through economic empowerment of the people while some were sent abroad for training.
“Government and communities should desist from such agreements. It behooves on government through security agencies to end all forms of criminality.
“If such agreement is established, other criminal groups will come up. We must do away with playing politics with insecurity and it will end. Enough is enough,” Oba Ogunoye said.
