Daji Sani in Yola
Adamawa State Governor, Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, has challenged members of the Chemical Society of Nigeria (CSN) to conduct comprehensive research that will assist in mitigating the security challenges in Nigeria.
Governor Fintiri gave the charge while declaring open the 45th Annual International Conference of the Chemical Society of Nigeria at the Banquet Hall, in Yola, yesterday.
The Governor, who was represented by the Chief of Staff to the Governor, Professor Maxwell Gidado, charged them to ensure that solutions are provided to avert the use of the nation’s fertiliser in manufacturing weapons and Improvised Explosive devices (IED).
According to him, “the same manner in which the fertiliser is produced through chemical, another chemical could also be manufactured to disable its effect so that the bandits terrorising the citizens be caught like rats.”
Also speaking the President, Chemical Society of Nigeria, Professor Moses Nkem Chendo, said the theme of this year’s conference ‘The role of chemistry in solving the present economic and security challenges in Nigeria is timely’.
According to Chendo, “economic and security challenges are not only peculiar to Nigeria as a nation, but a global concern, saying the threats can either be social or natural.
“National security therefore, involves not only protection against military attack, includes non military dimensions such as security from terrorism, minimisation of crime, economic security, energy security, food security and environmental security among others.”
Chemistry, he stressed, is essential in meeting our basic needs of food, clothing, shelter, healthcare, energy and clean air, water and soil, adding that no meaningful industrial development can take place without the deployment of chemical principles of the production chain.
In his keynote address, the National Security Adviser,, Major General Babagana M. Monguno (rtd), lamented that “Nigerians has developed a bad reputation in the area of security challenges globally.”
General Monguno revealed that no fewer than 14.3 million Nigerians are currently involved different forms of insecurity using chemistry in performing their negative tendencies.
The state chairperson of the Chemical Society of Nigeria, Dr. Nami Marcel Gaila while welcoming the participants however appealed to the government at all levels to provide employment to Nigerian youths aimed at reducing the rate of security challenges.
