Members of the Traditional Worshippers Association of Nigeria, Oyo State Chapter have protested the exclusion of the group from a peace meeting called by Oyo State government to discuss issues relating to maintenance of peace in the State.
Key stakeholders like traditional rulers, religious leaders, security agents, artisans, market women and men, students’ body among others were invited to the Agodi Secretariat in Ibadan on Monday and Tuesday of the week but the traditional religion adherents were not among those invited for the meeting.
The group in a statement signed by their Secretary, Dr. Fayemi Fatunde Fakayode on Wednesday after an emergency meeting in Ibadan said it was not the first time the third leg of the religion beliefs were neglected and omitted from core issues that affect the State.
They also commiserated with the police authority in the State over the sad incidents of loss of officers to the last violent protests in the State as well as destruction of police stations and facilities.
Fakayode hinted that “we would not have been bulged by the attitude of this administration to we traditional Worshippers in the State, other issues of equal importance have been discussed here in Ibadan with the inclusion of our brothers and sisters in the Christianity and Islam faiths, but on the issue of peace and security, one would think it supposed to be all inclusive.
“The governor has continued to treat us like we are aliens in our own land just because of our belief, we need to remind him that we hold the same stake in the affairs of this State, we will keep reminding him.
“We are using this medium to also commiserate with the police authority in the State for the loss of their officers to the last violent protests in major areas of the State as well as loss of equipments and facilities and vandalization of police stations that happened in many areas, it is disheartening.
“We call on the federal, State and local government authorities to urgently commence renovation work on these facilities across the State.”
Oyo State Traditional Worshippers however commended Governor Seyi Makinde for the announcement made by the governor on Tuesday that he had signed a document for the immediate recruitment of 1,500 officers to kickstart the Southwest Security Network codenamed – “Amotekun” corps in the State.
They said the Amotekun corps would supplement the efforts of the regular police officers to enforce law and order especially in the rural communities.
Recall that Governor Makinde recently announced that the “Amotekun” security outfit personnel would start their training on November 1, 2020, while the officers would be passing out on November 15, 2020.
