The Southwest Governors Forum have condemned the ”disrespectful” exchange a Chief Supretendient of Police had with the Lagos state governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, on Tuesday, January 4.

The governors in a statement released by their chairman, Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo state, said they were in possession of a video that has gone viral on the social media concerning the ”disgraceful exchange” between the CSP and the Governor.

The forum said the content of the video is very disconcerting.

”The utter disrespect, which underlines the response of the officer to the Governor establishes, beyond doubt, the impracticability of the current system, dubiously christened “Federalism”. An arrangement, which compels the Governor of a State to seek clarifications on security issues in his jurisdiction from totally extraneous bodies or persons, is a sure recipe for anarchy.

We condemn, very strongly, this brazen assault on decency. We call on the IG to explain the justification for this intrusion. This is not acceptable. Any expectations of rapprochement between so called federating units and federal security agencies are becoming forlorn, progressively, due to deliberate acts which mock our very avowal to ethics and professionalism.”the forum said

The governors also condemned in very clear terms the alleged role of the Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami SAN in this act of gross moral turpitude. The CSP in his exchange with Governor Sanwo-Olu stated that he and the other police officers were in the residential area on the order of the Inspector General of Police through the Attorney General of the Federation AGF.

”We, on our part, will continue to interrogate the current system, which treats elected representatives of the people as mere prefects, while appointed office holders ride rough shod over them as Lords of the Manor.

If the purported Chief Security Officers of the States of the Federation require clearance from the office of the IG on matters within their areas of jurisdictions, only hypocrites will wonder why the current security crisis deepens and there appears to be no solution in the foreseeable future.

We condemn very strongly, this brazen assault on decency. We call on the IG to explain the justification for this intrusion. This is not acceptable. Any expectations of rapprochement between so called federating units and federal security agencies are becoming forlorn, progressive due to deliberate acts which mock our very avowal to ethics and professionalism.

We condemn, in very clear terms, the role of the Attorney General of the Federation, Mr Abubakar Malami SAN in this act of gross moral turpitude.

We, on our part, will continue to interrogate the current system, which treats elected representatives of the people as mere prefects, while appointed office holders ride rough shod over them as Lords of the Manor. If the purported Chief Security Officers of the States of the Federation require clearance from the office of the IG on matters within their areas of jurisdictions, only hypocrites will wonder why the current security crisis deepens and there appears to be no solution in the foreseeable future.

We condemn very strongly, this brazen assault on decency. We call on the IG to explain the justification for this intrusion. This is not acceptable. Any expectations of rapprochement between so called federating units and federal security agencies are becoming forlorn, progressively, due to deliberate acts which mock our very avowal to ethics and professionalism.’the statement read in part

The governors say they stand by the Governor of Lagos State and advised him to deploy the Regional security outfit, Amotekun, in the state to protect the lives and property of the people.

”We call on the President and Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces to rein in the excesses of certain elements bent on acting in a manner capable of eroding the bond of trust existing between the people and the Federal Government. It is preposterous for political appointees to seek to undermine the very structure of service upon which their appointments rest.”the statement concluded.