The Ondo State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) said it was standing solidly behind the State Givernor Arakunrin Rotimi Akeredolu on the quit notice he handed down to herdsmen in the state’s forest reserves.
Director of Media and Publicity of the party, Mr Steve Otaloro said in an interview on Friday: “We are solidly standing with Governor Rotimi Akeredolu on his decision to ban all unauthorized persons from the state’s forest reserves.”
Otaloro said the governor’s decision was the result of serious and troubling cases of kidnappings and killings in the state.
According to him: “Not too long ago, a first class traditional ruler was killed. You know these people just came in from nowhere and started shooting. It has been something that the state doesn’t have to condone any longer. So the governor was right in that decision.”
He explained that the order was not targeted at anybody or group of people in particular.
He noted that those directed to leave the state forest were unauthorized people in the forest.
“And in the case of the herders, what that decision or order says is that there are some registered herders that are known in the state, but if you are not registered, you don’t have any business being in the state. So we intend to control, who and who are in the various state’s forest reserves.
“By this decision, we have been able to apprehend those, who are unauthorized to be in the forest.”
Otaloro said he believed the response of the presidential spokesperson, calling the governor to order, was uncalled for.
“Because when these cases of kidnappings and killings became very pronounced in the state, nobody from the presidency came to the state’s rescue.
“And if the state government is now taking a decision that will safeguard the life and property of our people, we think it’s the right decision.
“So as a political party, we are backing the governor on this. We are watching him; we are with him and we believe it’s a decision that will totally eradicate these terrible wanton killings from the state.
“These killings are just too much and the state can no longer allow the dastardly act to continue. That’s the more reason this government is taking this drastic decision, which we believe is a measure to guard against further unnecessary killings in the state.”
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