Christopher Isiguzo in Enugu, John Shiklam in Kaduna and Segun James in Lagos
The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF); apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo and former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Chief Olu Falae, have declared support for a security summit to address the precarious security situation across the country.
Secretary of the ACF, Mr. Anthony Sani, who applauded the move by the Senate to hold such a summit, told THISDAY that Nigerians should support anything to end the pervasive insecurity nationwide.
According to him, a security summit by the Senate will go a long way in generating ideas on how to combat criminality across the country.
Sani added that military might alone cannot end the insecurity in the country, stressing that understanding the root causes of the security challenges will go a long way in bringing the situation under control.
The President General of Ohanaeze, Chief John Nnia Nwodo, also told THISDAY in Enugu that the security challenge plaguing the country has no regards for anybody and as such demands the collective action of all stakeholders.
He called on all eminent leaders of the nation, regardless of their political persuasion, to come together for an urgent national security conference to discuss measures that will arrest the extant drift to lawlessness.
“It’s indeed a challenging moment and we all have to rise to the occasion before this situation degenerates out of hand,” Nwodo said.
On his part, Falae who was once a victim of kidnapping, said he would support any effort to find solution to the security challenges.
The former SGF, whose farm was also vandalised by suspected herdsmen, told THISDAY that, “I will support any measure that can be effective in restoring peace and security to our country.”
It’s an Exercise in Futility, Says Afenifere
But speaking on behalf of Afenifere, a chieftain of the organisation, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, said the security summit proposed by the Senate would amount to an exercise in futility as the outcome would still need to be accepted by the president who might not accept the recommendations.
Adebanjo also wondered why another summit on security should be held when the same issue has been tackled in previous reports, which he said the president had refused to implement.
According to him, the solution to insecurity in the country is for governors to take charge of security issues in their states, adding that when there is any security breakdown, it would be easy to know who to blame.
He believed the answer to the problems facing the country is restructuring and true federalism.
“The root cause of the problems facing the country is the constitution imposed on us. That is why the summit will not work. It is just begging the question. They will only recommend but the person in charge already knows the solution, but he will not implement it,” he said.
