Segun James
Alarmed by the general state of insecurity, including incessant killings in some parts of the country, various civil society organisations (CSO) under the umbrella of the National Alliance for Development (NADEV) have cried out that violence have escalated in the country with several communities at the mercy of murderous insurgents, marauding killers, bandits and kidnappers at unacceptable proportions that have gravely endangered the peace, unity and development of the country.
The coalition in a communique issued at the end of their meeting held in Lagos, which was signed by Alhaji Shettima Yerima; Adewale Adeoye-Journalists for Democratic Rights (JODER); Dotun Hassan, Yoruba Youth Congress; Auwal Rafsanjani, CISLAC; Mazi Isiguzoro, Chairman, Ohanaze Youth Council, and Comrade Igbifa, president of Ijaw Youth Council, lamented that the national economy has been mismanaged, “which is already approaching a second recession and characterised by huge debt profile.”
They said they are “embarrassed that despite the present administration’s claim of war against corruption, the highly acknowledged corruption perception monitor, Transparency Intentional, has adjudged Nigeria to be more corrupt today than it was in 2015.
They expressed grave concern about the clannish nature and approach to governance, which they said has resulted in creating deep divisions and inter-communal distrust, at a one-day summit of National Elders and Leaders of Nigeria convened in Lagos by leaders of a coalition made up socio-political, socio-cultural groups, civil society, students and professional organisations with the goals to facilitate and “forge a consensus on the formation of a unified platform in the pursuit of building national security, unity and survival in a just and democratic country.
“The coalition would review the alarming rise and spread of killings and general insecurity of lives and property in Nigeria to underscore the failure of economic management policies characterised by a rising debt profile which has resulted in enormous hardship to vast segments of the Nigerian population.
“Assess the current war against corruption in the light of revelations of an embarrassing rise in the country’s corruption perception index. To advise on how to check the deep divisions and distrust resulting from the unfair nature of governance and appointments to public offices and institutions.”
They observed that the country now witnesses unprecedented incompetence and enthronement of mediocrity in dealing with the regularity of killings and general insecurity across the country, even as they testified that while the security of lives and property is the cardinal responsibility of government, the apparent failure of the country’s entire security and law and order agents to check the killings which have claimed thousands of lives and displaced millions, is giving rise to suspicions of government complicity among the affected communities.
