Aiyedatiwa Did Not Hire A Private Firm To Protect Farmers In Ondo State – Aide

The Senior Special Assistant to Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa on Security, Gbenga Atiba, has said that the governor did not hire any private firm to protect farmers in the state.

Naija News understands that a private security firm, Global Olabod Resources Limited, had claimed that Aiyedatiwa had employed them to coordinate all security agencies in the state, following the outcry of farmers being threatened by hoodlums in their farms.

However, speaking via a statement on Tuesday, Atiba explained that the claim made by the company’s chairman was a misrepresentation of the facts.

He said that the state government’s engagement with the firm was solely for the identification and enumeration of farmers to provide the government with accurate and reliable data.

The statement read, “It is important to clarify that the state government currently enjoys a strong and cooperative relationship with all security agencies, including the Armed Forces, Police, Civil Defence Corps, and the state’s homeland security unit, Amotekun. Most notably, these security agencies in the state have been performing admirably in fulfilling their duty to protect the lives and property of the state’s residents.

“The engagement of Global Olabod Resources Limited by the state government is specifically for the identification and enumeration of farmers in the state, to provide the government with accurate and reliable data. It is inappropriate for a privately-owned firm to claim or assume the role of coordinating all the security agencies in the state— especially in a state where government officials are already tasked with such responsibilities.

“Under the capable leadership of Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, the state government will continue to collaborate with all relevant federal security agencies to ensure the safety and security of the entire state and its inhabitants. The general public can rest assured that both federal and state security agencies will not shirk their responsibilities in safeguarding the lives and property of the people.”