A group of security experts on Monday in the Offa local government area of Kwara state have said that state governors are a major key to insecurity solutions in the country.
Speaking as a group of panellists at the fourth annual colloquium of the Galaxy Clique Offa, themed, “Emerging Trends and Insecurity in our Communities: Challenges and Solutions”, the security experts also called on state governors to give adequate support and assistance to security agencies to tackle “worrisome” security challenges.
The team of panellists at the colloquium included a former director of National Military Strategy at the National Defence College, Abuja, Air Vice Marshal Ishaq Balogun (Rtd), Assistant Inspector General of Police, Remi Opadokun (Rtd), Oyo state commandant of Amotekun, Colonel Olayinka Olayanju (Rtd) and the executive chairman of the Kwara State Internal Revenue Service (KWIRS), Mrs Shade Omoniyi, as well as other traditional security operatives.
Air Vice Marshal Ishaq Balogun (Rtd), who urged state governors to improve relationships with security agencies and organize a regular show of force, said that only language understood by terrorists is a show of force.
“If all the security outfits were supported to do what they’re supposed to do, we wouldn’t have gotten to this level. The military forces owe governors military assistance to constituted authorities and military assistance to civil authorities. With this, I wonder why some state governors will feel that they can’t issue directives to the chief command of the military or police in emergencies.
“Please, let’s know that anywhere the military or police is sited, they should assist to serve the interest of that area. We are supposed to relate with the military in our areas to help prevent insecurity”, he said.
The security experts, who identified drivers of insecurity to include unemployment and poverty, said that extreme poverty could lead to crime. Others, they said are drug abuse, the proliferation of small arms, get-rich-quick syndrome, rising population figures, as well as actions and inactions of members of each community.
They also suggested quality leadership, rule of law, development of the nation’s security architecture, improved community policing, restructuring the Nigerian state, technical career education, resuscitation of moribund industries and value/moral education as some of the key solutions to the prevalent insecurity in the country.
“The effective formulation and implementation of guidelines and programmes that can address the basic causes of uncertainties in Nigeria is essential, particularly with regard to poverty, unemployment, environmental degradation, injustice, corruption, porous borders, and proliferation of light and small arms.
“Efforts to combat insecurity can only be effective if there is a solid combination of legislative and judiciary interference with government reforms that address some serious human security challenges facing a large majority of the population.
“Hence, dealing with insecurity requires political will or sincerity of purpose and undivided commitment on the part of the leadership of the country.”
In her speech, the chairman of the occasion, the executive chairman of the KWIRS, Mrs Shade Omoniyi, who said that insecurity portends a dangerous threat to the unity of the country, added that “it takes teamwork to find a way out of the prevalent security situation we have found ourselves in.
“We have to ponder on all our differences and use all our collective creativity to carefully pursue the common saying that security begins with you and me, to save our community from this quagmire.
“Perhaps, a good starting point to addressing this myriad of security issues is to build an ‘elite consensus’ on Nigeria’s security, unity, incomprehensibility and peaceful existence.”
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