Nigeria tackling insecurity, says Jonathan

1187 views Category: Politics and War   | By Anonymous | Feb 21st, 15:01

Summary

STATE OF INSECURITY IN NIGERIA: A CHALLENGE TO THE GOVERNMENT

many times, this country has suffered plaques of crisis, each leading to scores of lives lost and destruction of properties. All this while, I have been hoping to drop a line of the recent spate of insecurity in our land. Do I call it internal security? However, I had to pickup my pen to drop these lines with the recent remark of President Goodluck Jonathan after the Christmas day bombing  in Madalla, Gudaka, Damaturu, Maiduguri and Jos by the Boko Haram group, describing the bombing in the country, “as a burden Nigerians must live with until it fizzles out”. One thing is certain; you and I can never tell who the next victims will be or which location the next bombs will come off. Is the government waiting for all her citizens to fizzle out, before they can take a decisive step to curb the activities of this extremist group? What are the security agencies doing? Or do we say maybe those in power have not been affected either because they and their families move about with convoys filled with security personals?

Nigerians may not have recovered from the shock of the 26 August 2011 devastating bomb assault on the United Nations House, which left scores dead. Sometime in June, a suspected member of Boko Haram bombed the Louis Edet House Police Headquarters, Abuja.  On the eve of the April general elections, Boko Haram struck at an Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) office in Suleja, killing scores and wounding others. Also, rampaging youths in some part of the north went on rampage when the results of the elections were announced, this left many dead. It was yet another bomb explosion on Christmas morning at St. Theresa Catholic Church, Madalla, near Suleja, Niger State; Jos, Plateau State; and Damaturu, Yobe State. Scores, mostly Christian worshippers, were reportedly killed and many more injured in the blast.

Uche Madu (not real names) works for a mobile communication operator. He had an assignment in one of the North East state of Nigeria. Reaching the state, as a result of insecurity in the land, they solicited for military protection to enable them get to the site. Despite, the military protection on their way to the site, they were attacked leading to the death of Uche and some of the military men. I can go on and on citing various incidences. What baffles me in all this is that, it is really saddening that after every such unfortunate occurrence, the government comes out with the usual statement, “we are on top of the situation…”  It comes out with the same press release AGAIN and AGAIN. The official statements are enough; the government needs to take action.

Nigeria is going down a path never seen in her history. It’s a pretty dangerous path, one that the whole world is watching. People are afraid of their safety. At a time, we taught our problem was corruption and power failure, but now security has taken over. With what is happening the President should come out strong and call the shots, he has to face the security challenges. It is very clear that not enough is been done to address the security challenges. Or is it that Mr President and the Service Chiefs are telling us that they have no solution to the insecurity in our land? The government cannot be passive about this security challenge. One thing is clear in all this. This government has failed in her duty to defend and protect her people. The government should go to the root of these security challenges; the state of insecurity must be attributed to the menace of the extremist/criminals to security lapses, everything in this country is been polarised even down to the security agencies. All they now do is to promote their own religion instead of protecting Nigeria. This government should as a matter of national urgency overhaul our security system. Nigeria occupies an enviable position in the world with abundant natural and human resources. The government should look deeper in other to find a lasting solution to this carnage. Moreover, the truth must be told, we lack the sophisticated weapons to suppress the crisis in the custody of the extremist/criminals. Also, there is inadequate manpower; the number of the extremist/criminals is insignificant.

I believe in one Nigeria. The series of bombing has become a national emergency that needs to be addressed NOW. This government should not allow this country to disintegrate. We as a country do not have a record of arms and bomb manufacturing. The citizens at this time are tired with the usual press release issued anytime a crisis happens. This is a challenge to the government; the Federal Government must move urgently to shake up the security apparatus to assure Nigerians and the international community of its capacity to guarantee the security of lives and property in the country. I have believed in Nigeria in the past and I still believe in her great future. Government should stop this unnecessary blood shedding, please stop this carnage!

 

 

 

Requirements or Required Knowledge

 

PRESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan   has said that Nigeria has made significant progress in meeting the country’s security challenges.

Jonathan told the new Ambassador of Switzerland to Nigeria, Mr. Hans-Rudolf Hodel, after he presented his letters of credence to him at the Presidential Villa that “we are making significant progress in meeting our recent security challenges and we shall continue to improve, so investors have nothing to fear.”

The President, who also received the letters of credence from three new Ambassadors - Mr. Ashraf Abdelkader Elmorsi Salama (Egypt), Mr. Svante Kilander (Sweden) and Dr. Joachim Oppinger (Austria), urged them to encourage more business delegations from their countries to visit the country.

The new ambassadors told the President that they were impressed by the vast opportunities in Nigeria, and expressed their determination to improve trade and other mutually beneficial relations with Nigeria.

 

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