Aggrieved operatives of the Ondo State Security Network Agency, otherwise known as Amotekun Corps, Julius Ekujumi, has berated the leadership of the corps for engaging in the casualisation of personnel instead of employing operatives in line with the civil service rule of the state.
Ekujumi in viral videos posted on social media platforms, disclosed that the corps had been making efforts to silence operatives over their demand for formal letters of employment following their engagements five years ago.
While accusing the leadership of Amotekun of earlier dismissing the claims of the operatives over the issue, the Counsel to the aggrieved officers in the state, Tope Temokun, emphasised that the courageous move of Ekujumi has further legitimized the position of the aggrieved corps.
The counsel had earlier submitted petitions to the Ondo State House of Assembly, the Amotekun Commandant, labour unions in the state, as well as the Attorney General of the state, seeking an independent investigation into the welfare and service conditions of Amotekun operatives.
Temokun, who urged the Ondo State government and the state House of Assembly to urgently institute an independent probe into the condition of service of Amotekun operatives and protect whistleblowers from reprisals, appealed to the civil society community and human rights advocates to take interest in the plight of the operatives who risk their lives daily without adequate legal protection.
“Instead of addressing the substance of the complaints, we were told we had “no client” and that “no officer is complaining,” because they knew and thought no operative was ready to publicly identify themselves out of fear of reprisals. On 11 September, the Commandant mobilised senior officers to the House of Assembly to publicly “show solidarity” with him and declare they “did not want appointment letters,” a staged spectacle intended to create the false impression that there were no grievances.
“The denial that Amotekun officers ever demanded appointment letters is false. The viral video is clear evidence that officers are publicly expressing such grievances. Issuance of appointment letters is not a privilege but a basic condition of service in any organized security structure. Keeping hundreds of men and women in uniform without formal documentation of their terms of engagement amounts to casualisation of security work.”
Reacting to the development, the Amotekun Corps described the issue of letter of appointment as mischievous, adding that most of its operatives are over the age of 60-years-old, hence the reason why letter of employment is not necessary.
The corp in a statement issued by its PR department, stated that “For the avoidance of doubt, the Amotekun Corps operates under a unique modus operandi distinct from the conventional civil service structure.
“A significant number of Amotekun officers are above 60 years of age, which ordinarily disqualifies them from civil service engagement. Many of the operatives were recruited based on local intelligence, community credibility, and field
competence, not academic qualifications, which may be lacking in some cases.”
Ondo Amotekun in storm over casualisation of operatives, over aged personnel