MOUNTING INSECURITY IN NIGERIA – BEFORE WE SEEK EXTERNAL HELP

By IBRAHIM ABDULLAHI

There is no gainsaying in the fact that the Nation is overwhelmed with criminalities ranging from terrorism, insurgency, banditry, maiming and killings. An analysis of the crises also revealed burning of Police Stations and Vehicles, jail-breaking and burning of court buildings, document and equipment. We also have the problem of kidnapping and abduction for ransom most of which affect students in various categories.

As at today, calls are being made for Nigerian Leaders to seek external help to combat these senseless and devastating crimes being committed ‘day by day’ across the Nation.

I total disagree with the idea of involving external support when we have not exhausted the solutions proferred to bring peace. My idea has been that criminals know that we lack sufficient manpower, logistics, equipment and facilities to combat crimes, they capitalise on these weaknesses to bring the ‘the Country to its kneels’. It is therefore simple and straightforward to deal with the cankerworm by addressing these weaknesses decisively.
Happily, the 2021 Federal Budget addressed this issue with highest vote earmarked for security. Nothing stops the Federal Government from urgently proceeding on massive recruitment and training of more police and military personnel in large number. Set in motion purchase of arms and ammunitions, highly sophisticated weapons, vehicles and heavy machinery that could deal with current challenges.

It must be stated however that training and re-training of police and military personnel need be upscaled here and outside the Country. In tackling the problem of insecurity through the method I have suggested, I fear corruption that has eaten deep into the veins of some people of this Nation.. People could be mobilised appropriately to acquire these facilities, if they comprise the trust in them they would corrupt themselves monetarily as it had happened before. I also fear non-recruitment of sufficient manpower due to certain considerations. This would be unfortunate!
What stops the Nation from recruiting and training 1 million policemen starting on monthly basis with 10,000 and training same the following month with same recruitment continuing on unabated even for the next three years? The military could recruit and train same number military cutting across the three military formations.

This is the way out otherwise the mounting violence and criminalities which are of different dimension would not be rightly tackled. It is clear that what is happening in South East is both political and criminal. While those being probed for economic crimes are likely involved, criminals illegally freed from Prisons in Edo and Imo States may have been causing the mayhem to frustrate their re-arrest and prosecution. Could they be stronger than Governments? No!

In all I have highlighted, what concerns foreign Countries in matters that we could tackle holistically and successfully? The ball is in out court.

Other areas that need be studied and rejigged for us to ‘weather the storm’ of insecurity are:

(i) INTELLIGENCE GATHERING & EFFECTIHVE UTILISATION

The Nation parades about 27 Security Agencies with large percentage of them being intelligent in outlook and operation. What went wrong that almost all of them cannot predict and forestall the heinous crimes being committed? Are they well equipped? Are they well trained and motivated? Why must all violent crimes leading to heavy casualties escape their predictions when they operate on the Nigerian soil? Do they provide timely information to the right quarters but the information is ignored? What is wrong and where? These posers are for those governing us at the Federal Levels.

What is happening as far as heinous crimes are concerned, indict all Heads of the Security Agencies especially the Intelligence Corps beginning with DSS, NIA, Military & Police Intelligences and others too numerous to mention. The criminalities of kidnapping and abductions anywhere in the Country is laughable as long as they are committed on our soil and our Intelligences Agencies could not unravel the misery within a week! How come unravelling the misery is possible in some advanced Countries? Why is it impossible for us to do same here? The Federal Government should beef its searchlight there to know the problems of our Security & Intelligence Establishments and solve insecurity problems immediately.

UNEMPLOYMENT

It is true that FG realised the negative effects of unemployment in the Nigerian Society and have come-up with several economic initiatives to reduce economic hardship on the people especially unemployed graduates, the positive effects of all the initiatives have been minimal. This is because their continuity has been unsure.There were periods NPOWER beneficiaries were crying that the programme if discontinued and they are not integrated into the mainstream of Federal Service they would be back to square one! Continuity of all social economic empowerment initiatives of FG and even expanding them would reduce youth restiveness and reduce crimes in the Society. Tackling unemployment crisis therefore is an antitode to insecurity we are facing now. Seeking international help does not concern this issue, rather we should cross-check how holistically people charged with this responsibilities have been doing them, otherwise the corruptible tendencies in Nigeria may have crept into various economic schemes meant to relieve the jobless ones of economic hardship which has made the positive impact of it to be minimal. FG should also cross-check that.

BAD GOVERNANCE AT STATES LEVEL

Heaping all blames of insecurity in Nigeria on Federal Government alone is absolutely wrong. I invite the attention of citizens to the fact that while Federal Government is responsible for the Military and the Police, the issue that have been thrashed in PART I of this article, we should blame most State Governments also for promoting insecurity by their style of governance especially on how financial resources are expended on questionable Consultancy Fees, Inflated contracts, unaccounted and humongous Security Votes monthly to mention a few…It is on record that a State Government is owing unpaid salaries of its public servants of various categories in the State for 1 year. The Governor has put that debt at abeyanvce and continued to the succeeding year without an agreement on when the salaries would be paid! Is that good governance?

The issue of unsettled new minimum wages in more than 20 States of the Federation with records of where public monies being spent is not valuable as paying staffers arrears of salaries as well as new Minimum Wage which the Governors were party to… Meanwhile, all States harbour various kinds of militant groups otherwise referred to as thugs which they used during past elections. If these elements metamorphosed into bandits, kidnappers, abductors and arsonists, people still come back to blame FG where they are ravaging crises instead of blaming the Governors who run their States like personal business ventures! Let face facts that rushing to Abuja to complain to President Buhari cannot fully solve insecurity problems, rather State Governors must be financially responsible and holistically caring for their citizens. The fear of God is not in the ‘dictionary’ of most of our Rulers at all level and this must change.

SECESSIONISTS AGITATION

Since MASSOB and IPOB started their agitation in the South East, State Governments therein failed to take urgent steps to dislodge them. Almost all the agitators who are youths were not alive when Biafran War took place. Unfortunately, most Leaders in the Region who knew the genesis and untold hardship of 1967 – 1970 Biafran War brought into the people failed to tell the truth about it. To this end, the youth in IPOB and MASSOB continue to thread secessionist path again until when FG proscribed IPOB after it wrecked alot of havoc on the people they claimed to be fighting for. In the crisis induced by the militant groups, many innocent lives were lost, property destroyed, houses and institutions were burnt and IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu was arrested and put on trial.

The bail granted the Leader of IPOB led to his abscondment. From his self-imposed asylum abroad, he continued threatening the unity of Nigerian Nation, what happened to those who stood surety for him?What happened to his extradition process and other looters of the Nigerian Treasury till date? These and other political issues are responsible for the violence and brigandage being witnessed in South-East.

Now, to nip-it-in-the bud, South-East Leaders including their Governors must declare where they stand, is it for their people or for the militants and fugitives? The burning and destruction of Security Formations, Correctional Centres and Courts vividly shows that criminals are on the prowl to take-over the Region. Do we now blame this only on FG when those governing the States refused to use the financial resources provided monthly through FAAC to protect the people? While FG is being admonished on what to do, State Governments innthe South East too must be upright in the defence of the Nation and rebuff secession holistically.

I suggest that with proposed Ebube Agu joining the strengthened Police and Military, a solution should be in sight for South East and prevention of its escalation to South-South would be possible.

THE NORTH

The 19 States of North have for several years being wallowing in poverty, disease and lack of education for the youths even before 2009 when boko haram crisis broke out. This had been due to bad governance.

Realising that education was one of the serious problems confronting the Region, GEJ administration bought into the idea of socalled AL-MAJIRI Education which was introduced but basterdised due to endemic corruption in the Regime. That is why today it is on record that billions of Naira were spent on it with nothing to show.

On begging, I condemned the prevalence of street begging in the North shortly on my arrival from Nassarawa State during a tour sometimes in 2015 or so. I did the condemnation on one of the International TV Channels operating in Nigeria; calling on all Governors in the Region to address the menace as it is unislamic. Seven years down the line, rhetorics have been the action taken by the Governors. Who knows whether the neglected children are those that have matured into criminalities now wrecking the Region! Would it be right to position that also in the door-steps of Federal Government alone?

Remember I have addressed the issue of inefficient and questionable utilisation of states resources across the Nation. The Northern Governors are not exculpated from same. We must all blame ourselves instead of focusing FG alone. Let’s resolve to do and do what is right. It is then we can witness peace ….. GOD BLESS NIGERIA! AMEEN.

*Ibrahim Abdullahi, FCIPMl, is an HR Consultant, Fellow of Chartered Institute of Personnel Management of Nigeria & Public Affairs’ Analyst.