Segun Akanni, Toronto, Canada 
Governors of the Southwestern will meet with the Inspector-General, Mohammed Adamu, on Thursday to continue discussions on the operation of the security network for the region, also known as Operation Amotekun.
Chairman of the South-West Governors Forum and Ondo Governor Rotimi Akeredolu, who disclosed this while addressing State House Correspondents in Abuja on Tuesday, also said his administration had done a lot in his state.
Akeredolu said he visited President Muhammadu Buhari to discuss issues in his state and to invite him to come commission two of his state’s high value projects; Ore Highway Flyover and the Linyi Industrial Hub.
When he was asked if he discussed the Western Nigeria Security Network (WNSN) coden-named Operation Amotekun with Buhari, Governor Akeredolu said his brief with the President had nothing to do with Amotekun but informed that a meeting with the IGP had been slated for Thursday on the matter.
“I did not discuss about Amotekun with Mr President in any way. We didn’t even mention it. He wouldn’t have asked me, I was not here for that purpose. The issue of Amotekun is a matter having to do with security and as you know, Mr Vice President had come into this, we have held meetings, we are having subsequent meetings and we know that on the 6, that’s Thursday, the governors will be meeting with the Inspector-General of Police to sort a few things out and to smoothen edges.
“On the issue of security, we are directly speaking with the Inspector-General of Police and other security agencies. I’ve not come here to bother the President about it.
“I came to Mr President for a specific issues, which is to invite Mr President to Ondo State for the commissioning of our intersection, the flyover across the Benin-Ore Road and the Ondo Linyi Industrial Hub.
“As you all know, I’ll be three years in office on the 24th of this month and the activities lined up to mark our third year in office include having to commission a number of our projects that have been completed. That’s why I’ve come to personally invite him to commission our flyover in Ore”, he said.
On the insinuations that he wants to ride on the back of the ‘Amotekun’ issue to secure a second term, the Governor said he has done enough for the people of Ondo State and doesn’t need the ‘Amotekun’ popularity to be re-elected.
He said: “On the forthcoming election, you need to go to Ondo; I know that we have done more than enough. We are in the heart of the people of Ondo State, we don’t need ‘Amotekun’ to be in the hearts of the people.
“You need to go there, by the grace of God, not our calling but for what God has enabled us to do in Ondo State is there for you to see.”
The Governor also used the opportunity to renew his earlier calls for the legalisation of the farming of marijuana, which he said has a lot of economic and health values to the society.
“It’s not because I take it; I take CBD, that’s the oil, for medical purposes. I am convinced about the use to which we can put marijuana.
“I know of the fact because we had to bring in experts, who have gone round and believe that the strain of marijuana that we grow in Ogbese in Ondo State is the best in the world. So, if you have that then a government must find a way to put it into good use.
“Our own is that the pathway to growing marijuana for medical reasons, not for anybody to smoke,” the Governor explained.
