By Olusesan Laoye
A governorship aspirant of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State, Prince Kola Musibaudeen Asatola Asanike, has expressed concern over the worsening security situation in Oyo State and across the country, blaming the erosion of local government autonomy for weakening grassroots security structures.
Asanike argued that the diminished role of local governments, particularly in the South-West, has contributed to avoidable security breaches and criminal activities in many communities.
Reacting to the recent security incident in Oriire Local Government Area, the APC chieftain attributed the development to what he described as a lack of strategic vision for security management and the deliberate weakening of the third tier of government.
According to him, local governments play a critical role in ensuring community safety because they possess better knowledge of local terrain and are better positioned to gather intelligence and respond quickly to threats.
“Local government remains pivotal to the security of every territory. No security actor understands the terrain better than the people who live there, know every footpath and can easily identify strangers,” he said.
He maintained that security challenges become inevitable when governors fail to allow local governments to function effectively, noting that the first line of defence is compromised when grassroots institutions are weakened.
Asanike further lamented that the absence of functional local government administration has hampered efforts to build an effective security architecture nationwide.
“Community policing, vigilante coordination and rapid information sharing depend largely on empowered local councils. Unfortunately, many governors have reduced local governments to mere appendages of state governments,” he said.
To prevent future attacks on schools, Asanike called for the immediate fencing of all public school premises across Oyo State, describing educational institutions as soft targets that must be protected against criminal elements.
He stressed that the safety of pupils and teachers should be treated as a priority by all levels of government.
According to him, fencing public schools is achievable despite prevailing economic constraints.
“This is not difficult to accomplish, even if it requires postponing some other projects to address what is clearly an emergency. If the Presidential Villa, religious centres, universities, corporate organisations and even private estates can be fenced against intrusions, why should our elementary schools remain exposed?” he asked.
He urged the Oyo State Government to classify school security as an urgent capital project and realign its priorities accordingly.
Asanike also linked the proposed school fencing initiative to the need for local government autonomy, arguing that functional local councils would be better positioned to execute and maintain such projects while mobilising community-based security structures.
“When you kill the local government, you kill community ownership of security,” he said.
“And when communities do not own security, criminals, kidnappers and bandits take ownership of the space. That is why vigilance must become a collective responsibility if we are to prevent further attacks on our schools.”
The APC governorship hopeful called on traditional rulers, community leaders, parents and other stakeholders to support efforts aimed at securing schools across the state.
He warned that incidents such as the recent Oriire school abduction must not be allowed to recur and urged Governor Seyi Makinde and the chairmen of the state’s 33 local government areas to work together on an emergency school safety initiative.
“Securing our children is securing the future of Oyo State,” Asanike stated.