By ABIRHIRE THOMAS
The National Association of Seadogs, Pyrates Confraternity has advocated for the creation of a state police among other security measures to combat the insecurity in the country.
The group is also demanding for autonomy for the Central Bank of Nigeria to formulate necessary monetary policies to salvage the naira.
Mr Abiola Owoaje, NAS Capoon, who made the demand in an Open Letter to President Bola Tinubu on the Independence Day entitled “Nigeria is Bleeding”, expressed displeasure that the insecurity which ravaged Nigeria under Mr Tinubu’s predecessor, Muhammadu Buhari, still persisted.
Owoaje who acknowledged efforts of the Tinubu’s administration to “inspire hope by making economic and political adjustments to revive the ailing economy” regretted that Nigeria continued to bleed under President Tinubu.
According to him “in spite of your best efforts so far to convince Nigerians that your administration means well for this country, the truth remains that Nigeria under your watch is bleeding profusely”.
He pointed out that hope rekindled in Nigerians with the change of the Service Chiefs had not been sustained “just as insurgents and other non-state actors are operating unchecked across the country”.
Reeling out statistics of killings, kidnappings across the country as well as the dire economic gloom hovering over Nigerians, he said there was an urgent need to create State Police to tackle the myriad of security challenges.
“We reiterate our previous demand for a decentralized policing system to tackle insecurity in Nigeria. The majority of Nigeria’s Police personnel are away from core police duty and guarding political leaders and other VIPs leaving hapless Nigerians at the mercy of criminal elements. We believe it is imperative now that you summon the political will, mobilize the State governors and the National Assembly to amend the 1999 constitution for the creation of State Police.
“It is crystal clear that extant strategies are not working, therefore, now is the time for the security agencies to drop their petty rivalry and work for the collective good of Nigerians by adopting new strategies to combat insecurity. The Department of State Security (DSS) should pay less action to ‘so called enemies’ of the government and provide the much-needed intelligence to smoke out terrorists, bandits and other criminal elements, and their sponsors, from their hideouts. The new security strategy should involve personnel of the security agencies winning over the hearts and minds of locals in the bid to flush out undesirable elements tormenting innocent Nigerians. No security will work if it does to inspire confidence in the people prompting them to volunteer information. Nigerians have become weary of ineffective directives to security agencies, they demand protection from the onslaught of criminal gangs”, he said.
On the economy, while hoping that the new Central Bank Governor, Mr Yemi Cardoso will be given the necessary independence to restore the autonomy of the apex bank which is the cornerstone of central banking, Owoaje added the Federal Government should galvanise the National Economic Council (NEC) to urgently seek ways to invest in Small Medium Scale industries, agriculture and manufacturing.
