By The Guardian
It is entirely in line with the
character of Nigerian leadership to moan about problems, which ordinarily, are
their responsibility to solve. The latest display of this disgraceful
disposition came the other day, from members of the National Assembly who openly
expressed apprehension over the spate of insecurity in the country. But the
lawmakers failed to tell Nigerians what they plan to do about the siege
currently laid on the country by armed gangs.
The failure of the government, as a
whole, to roll out a cohesive and comprehensive policy on security, has
expectedly, raised anxiety among Nigerians, even as the problem continues to
spiral out of control.
The lawmakers seemed to be worried that
the terrorist attacks might even extend to the hallowed chambers of the
National Assembly. Under a motion of urgent matters of national importance, the
lawmakers underscored the atmosphere of siege in the country: “The state of
insecurity in the country has reached an embarrassing level. What happened in
Jaji and SARS Headquarters is embarrassing to the leadership and people of this
nation.” Also, foreign embassies have continued to issue travel warnings to
their nationals who are Nigeria-bound to take precautionary measures for their
security.
A church within the precincts of the
Command and Staff College of the Nigerian Army, Jaji, Kaduna State, was bombed
by terrorists who killed 17 people and injured many others.
While the shock of Jaji bombing was yet
to subside, the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) Headquarters in Abuja,
located amidst several other security formations, such as the Police
Headquarters, was attacked by armed terrorists. The atmosphere of siege was
exacerbated with the daring attack on banks in the town of Auchi in Edo State.
The armed gang went first to attack the police formation in the town before the
banks. One of the banks was brought down by dynamite and when the mêlée was
over, three soldiers and a policeman had lost their lives. This led to the
suspension of banking activities in two of the three senatorial districts of
the state.
A corresponding cause for worry is the
activity of kidnappers. Even as Nigerians recover from the shock over Jaji
bombing and robbery incident in Edo State, the octogenarian mother of the
Minister of Finance, Prof. Kamene Okonjo, was abducted from her home in
Ogwash-Ukwu in Delta State and held captive for five days before being freed.
According to a recent report on the state of human rights in the country in the
south-east and south-south geopolitical regions of the country, kidnapping has
become an industry. Indeed, the authorities appear overwhelmed by the
situation. There are hardly any instance of successful arrest and prosecution
of kidnappers, thus provoking the suspicion of a possible collaboration from
law enforcement agencies.
That the security agencies in the
country seem to be losing control over the activities of hoodlums and armed
bandits ravaging the country is worrisome. The time has come for the leadership
of Nigeria to live up to their primary duty of ensuring the security of lives
and property in the country, as no one is immuned from the widespread terror in
the land. Not even public office holders.
There has been so much bloodletting,
and the long-term effect on economic development is best imagined. It is common
knowledge that foreign direct investment is sensitive to environments of
insecurity. The terror in the land calls for soul-searching. What is the
country not doing right? Beyond physical security measures to protect lives and
property, government must begin to interrogate the economic and political bases
of the prevailing plague. How may it curb the leakage in the system, encourage
genuine productive activities and get most of the unemployed youth gainfully
engaged?
Besides, are there genuine political
reasons behind the activities of terror organisations such as the Boko Haram
and how could it be addressed? These are the urgent tasks before the political
leadership in the country today, and they need to act fast to stem the
spreading anarchy.
Culled from The Guardian, December 18,
2012.
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