· Seek comprehensive review of security architecture
· Say security must begin with people
Gboyega Akinsanmi
A former Minister for Education, Prof. Tunde Adeniran and a former Commander of Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC), Nigerian Army, Maj.-Gen. Ishola Williams have recommended some strategies to pull Nigeria back from the brink.
The leaders asked the federal government to review and restructure the country’s security architecture comprehensively as one of the strategies to stem armed attacks, banditry and kidnapping currently ravaging the nation.
They canvassed these views in separate interviews with THISDAY at the weekend, pointing out that Nigeria “is in a very precarious condition and all stakeholders must work as a team to rescue her from the grips of divisive forces.”
Amid nationwide insecurity, Adeniran described this period as an unusual time in the history of the federation with a note that finding antidotes to Nigeria’s precarious conditions should not be left to the governments alone.
As a people that value the unity of our fatherland, according to the former minister, we have to stop thinking that the governments will solve all our problems. We have to wake up as Nigerians to appreciate that we have security challenges.
Now that the country is in a very precarious situation, Adeniran canvassed the need “to rise and face all the threats to corporate existence headlong. We have to pull Nigeria back from the brink. We have to do that together.”
The former minister observed that Nigeria “is in need of every effort to salvage it. A lot has to be done to rescue Nigeria from the brink. Only the people can create a stable political environment, not just the governments.”
Adeniran, a former Nigerian Ambassador to Germany, also emphasised the imperative of restructuring the country’s governance structure as part of the strategies to restore public order and stability nationwide.
He said he had been “an advocate of restructuring. Some of us have been talking about restructuring. But some people do not understand it. Some, who understand it, do not believe it because they put personal interest over and above national interest. This is most unfortunate.
“If we know we have a problem, we must face that problem. The structure that we are operating is one of our problems. The structure is dysfunctional. Nigeria needs a stable environment to harness her potential.
“Nigeria is a great country and Nigerians are very resourceful. But if we do not put a round peg in a round hole, we are not going to achieve much.
“We need to examine ourselves: what are we doing wrong? We are doing so many things wrong. We have to look into the way we deploy our human resources and the way we manage our material resources,” he observed with grave concern.
Adeniran pointed out that the structure of Nigeria “is deformed and it has to be reformed. This calls for total overhaul. That goes back to the fundamentals. That fundamental is the constitution that we are using.
“We must do something about it because it does not have people’s approval. Let us stop deceiving ourselves that we can get something out of nothing,” the former minister recommended with concern for the future of Nigeria.
On his part, Williams observed that things had changed all over the world, indicating that the political leaders could no longer handle diverse challenges confronting Nigeria with the same strategies they had been using.
He explained that people “have discovered that security operatives, who are far away in the communities, cannot resolve crime in the communities.
“Therefore, the communities themselves or people who govern them must find a way to protect them. Security challenges have been taking place in Kaduna before Mallam Nasir el Rufai became governor. There has been community strife or violence.”
Williams lamented that the army had taken over the job of the Nigeria Police, which, according to him, suggested that the police force could no longer secure lives and property.
He observed that it was sad that the army would be deployed for security operations in Southern Kaduna, even in the Southeast any time there were challenges.
He said: “That is not the core responsibility of the army. Gradually, the army has taken over the job of the police. This means the Nigeria Police is no longer capable of doing its jobs, even though some people have the foresight to set up mobile police (MOPOL).
“MOPOL was set up to deal with armed criminals, bandits, kidnappers and so on,” the retired general pointed out, citing different ways insecurity had been dealt with globally.
In most countries of the world, he explained that the task of policing “is shared among different levels of government – local, sub-national and national.
“We have got to that stage in Nigeria in which the federal government cannot cope anymore. It is very clear that the state must bear the responsibility and take the necessary steps.
“Southwest has created Amotekun. Southeast set up Ebube Agu. The North has Hisbah and civilian JTF. We just need to give them necessary support they need and conditions in which they can operate.
“At the same time, we must understand that it is a shared responsibility. Communities set up community police to support Amotekun, Ebube Agu, Hisbah or Civilian JTF,” the retired general suggested.
Asked whether the federal government should seek foreign assistance to resolve internal instability, Adeniran observed that there “is no country on earth that does not need assistance or collaboration with others.”
Even as powerful as the US is, according to the professor, it still networks and works with other countries either as partners or collaborators.
At this crucial time, Adeniran said: “Nigeria needs help. We sincerely need help, and that help will come when we appreciate that we are not able to cope with these challenges.
“It is not a sin when a country is having some internal challenges. But it becomes a sin when that country does not appreciate it, admit it and then look for help.
“We call on God to help us. But God will help us by using people to help us. We will do our best, but we should not leave everything outside to do for us.”
