Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja
An economic expert, Mr Opeyemi Agbaje, yesterday called on the President-elect, Bola Tinubu, to be decisive in dealing with security challenges confronting the nation.
He said if the challenge of insecurity was not frontally tackled, it may have cascading effects on the socio-economic development of the nation.
Delivering a paper, titled, “Crime and Insecurity: Understanding Nigeria’s Socio-economic Crisis,” the guest lecturer at a media parley, organised by First City Monument Bank (FCMB) in Abuja, stressed that if the security challenges were not tackled, they would have cascading effects on socio-economic development of the nation.
He observed that available data indicated that Nigeria was engulfed in an economic crisis, and thus, needs a capable leadership to bail it out.
Agbaje observed that the subsisting security architecture was potent and only needed the political will to drive the entire process.
He stated that as long as there was a dysfunctional economy with weak leadership, crime rate would continue to increase.
He noted that unemployment, poverty among other were contributing to high crime rates and such crime as internet fraud also known as yahoo-yahoo, thuggery etcetera.
He maintained that the latest global terrorism index also showed that food insecurity was also growing while the quality of life of the Nigerian citizen has stagnated.
“All sectors have been negative.
We have established that we have economic crisis
“On the privatisation govt did not keep faith with what it promised,” he said.
The guest lecturer added that to address the current economic quagmire, a mix of market and social policy were needed to move the country forward.
He, therefore, harped on the need to develop multiple centers of growth in Nigeria.
In his welcome address, the Vice President, Corporate Affairs of the bank, Diran Olojo, submitted that an informed media would aid the nation’s growth and better the society.
He charged reporters to sustain responsible journalism for good of the citizenry and image of their brands.
