A former governor of Oyo State, Chief Adebayo Alao-Akala, on Saturday, advised Governor Seyi Makinde to convene a council of state meeting to brainstorm on the security challenges facing the state.
Alao-Akala gave the advice in an interview with newsmen after an expanded meeting of APC Elders Advisory Council at his residence in Ibadan.
The former governor is the Chairman of the APC Elders Advisory Council in the state.
“A council of state meeting comprising of all former governors of the state both uniformed and civilian is necessary at this point to save our dear state from total collapse, security wise.
“A council of state meeting is a statutory organ of government and its function includes advising the executive in policy making,” he said.
Alao-Akala said that Makinde needed help in the area of maintaining law and order, adding that he should not shy away from that fact.
He said that the governor needed to sit down and brainstorm with his predecessors to share from their wealth of experience on how certain things were done, particularly in the area of security.
“Take for instance, at the national level, the President meets periodically with former heads of state, former presidents, former Chief Justices amongst others at the Nigerian Council of state meeting.
“The meeting is aimed at reviewing activities of government and seeking for advise or interventions where need be.
“This is exactly what he needs in Oyo State at the moment, the peace and stability of Oyo State is a collective responsibility of all, we are all stakeholders in the Oyo State Project,” he said.
Alao-Akala said that “there are well trained retired generals who had been military administrators of the state at one time or the other and who are still alive”.
He said that there were also civillain governors and retired Chief Judges of the state who would have one or two advices to offer to solve the security challenges before it gets out of control.
“Part of the duties of the council of state is to advise whenever requested to do so on the maintenance of public order within the federation and any part thereof and in such other matters as may be desired so,” he said.
The former governor said that Makinde would be very much in order if he convenes this strategic meeting, adding that “a stitch in time saves nine”.
