Problem-solving cannot be separated from problem-identification. Many a time, the latter precedes the former. This makes it all the more obvious that the route taken against rising insecurity across the nation by Oyo State governor, Seyi Makinde, is the best. The coming years will likely see Oyo taking the lead in matters of security and citizenry protection.
Governor Makinde has grown increasingly popular among Nigerians in the last few days. The reason for this not-so-sudden popularity is the strong stance that the engineer and businessman adopted to ensure that the people of Oyo are safe from the currents of insecurity blowing across the country.
According to Makinde, one of the reasons for the growing banality of kidnapping in Nigeria is the refusal of the Federal government to allow a state police system. In his view, once every state in Nigeria can coordinate its resources for policing without relying on a centralised system, much of the seeds of insecurity would be rooted out and citizenry safety would be achieved across the nation.
Makinde has experimented with this solution time and again. The most common of these experiments is the approval he gave for community policing, effectively engaging citizens in vulnerable regions to keep an eye out for crime and report to established security organisations. So far, this has worked and secured many of the rural communities from kidnapping, unlike the case in other states in Nigeria.
Makinde’s swiftness to deal with problems is an assuaging balm for his people. At a time when some governors are rumoured to be solely focused on fighting their predecessors and others are allegedly establishing new state offices to repay their forebearers, Makinde is a shining example of a trustworthy leader.
It may only be security at the moment for Makinde, but the people of Oyo are relieved. Things are certainly going to get better at the state, sooner rather than later.
