Joel Oladele, Abuja

Since 1960, October 1 has remained and will continue to be a significant day in the history of Nigeria. It represents the day the most populous black nation gained independence from British colonialism.

Nigerians since then have set aside the day to celebrate the liberty of their sovereign nation, earned through selfless sacrifices of many heroes past.

Like the biblical Israelites, the country has left Egypt but seems not arrived at its promised land as it has been wandering in the wilderness full of various challenges. Top on the list of such challenges is insecurity.

Well-meaning Nigerians have been gravely concerned about the issue of insecurity in the country as they keep wondering how we arrived at this level, where no one is safe and efforts by different administrations to put a stop to the ugly trend has not yielded any significant result, rather it seems escalating and now totally out of control.

None among the six geo-political zones in the country is spared as they all contend with one form or multiple forms of insecurity.

The security challenges that cut across the nation include, cybercrime, armed robbery, kidnapping, extrajudicial killings, herder-farmer conflicts, ritual killings, banditry, secessionist agitation, attacks by unknown gunmen, militancy, Boko Haram insurgency, the Islamic State in West Africa Province, ethno-religious killings among others.

These have led to loss of thousands of lives, extensive damage and loss of property.

According to the Global Terrorism Index (GTI), Nigeria (8.065) is currently the 8th most terrorised country among 163 nations in the world. Even Myanmar (7.977) and the Niger Republic (7.616) fared better than Nigeria in the GTI.

Nigeria was better than Afghanistan (8.822), Burkina Faso (8.564), Somalia (8.463), Mali (8.412), Syria (8.161), Pakistan (8.16) and Iraq (8.139).

GTI is a composite measurement made up of four indicators: incidents, fatalities, injuries and hostages. To measure the impact of terrorism, a five-year weighted average is applied.

No doubt, a more holistic approach is required to address the root causes of conflicts and agitations in the country.

In his inaugural speech, President Tinubu promised to make security a top priority because development could not take place without it.

“Security shall be the top priority of our administration because neither prosperity nor justice can prevail amidst insecurity and violence. To effectively tackle this menace, we shall reform both our security doctrine and its architecture.

“We shall invest more in our security personnel, and this means more than an increase in number. We shall provide better training, equipment, pay and firepower,” the President vowed.

As part of efforts to fulfill the promise made, President Tinubu, on June 1, ordered Service Chiefs and heads of security and intelligence agencies to crush criminals and anyone involved in oil theft, saying that his administration would not tolerate criminality.

He stated this in his maiden official meeting with Security and intelligence heads led by the Chief of Defence Staff, General Lucky Irabor at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Before Tinubu took over, insecurity had claimed 98,112 lives in 12 years; 27,311 persons under the watch of former President Buhari in his first term; and 35,900 persons between 2019 and May 29, 2023.

To put a stop to this, the President Tinubu said he was going to embark on a lot of reforms in terms of security architecture, and mandated the security agencies to come up with a blueprint, and redouble their efforts because, as far as he is concerned “this country should not be on its knees struggling while other countries are working and achieving greater heights.”

Although there seems to be an improvement in the war against insecurity since President Bola Tinubu took over on May 29, 2023, many parts of Nigeria are still killing fields as bandits, terrorists, gunmen, armed herders, criminals and insurgents unleash terror and mayhem on hapless citizens killing and kidnapping for ransom and rituals.

According to Nigeria Security Tracker(NST), a project of the Council on Foreign Relations’ Africa programme, as of August 29, no fewer than 1,406 Nigerians had been killed. These include 94 deaths recorded between May 29 and 31, 690 (June), 415 (July) and 207 (as of August 28).

The 1,406 deaths between May and August 2023 are fewer than the 2,897 recorded between June and August 2015 during the first 100 days of immediate past President Muhammadu Buhari administration.

The think tank states in its latest report titled ‘Understanding and Tackling Insecurity in Nigeria,’ which was released Monday, 7th November 2022, it stated that

“To overcome the widespread and growing insecurity within Nigeria’s borders, current military engagements should be sustained.

“But the nature, pattern and trend of security challenges confronting Nigeria cannot be dealt with efficiently using military power alone.

“Addressing only the manifestations of insecurity without tackling its drivers is akin to merely cutting off the tail of a dangerous snake while keeping intact its head and the rest of its body,” the report noted.

Allowing the prevailing security challenges to fester will hasten Nigeria’s slide to the league of failed states similar to the circumstances in Iraq and Syria.

Put together by a team of security experts, including those with service experience within and outside the country, the think tank report analysed the types as well as the drivers and manifestations of insecurity in Nigeria, if the recommendations from the report is duly followed, insecurity challenges in Nigeria might become a thing of the past.

Following from this, the report made short-, medium- and long-term recommendations on how to address the growing scourge which, it says, negatively impacts not just security of life and property in the country but also national cohesion, the capacity and the credibility of the state, economic growth, commerce, food production and education.

“Insecurity in Nigeria is multi-dimensional, as such, for any attempt at addressing the growing menace to be effective and sustainable, it needs to be holistic, deftly combining ‘hard’, military solutions with ‘soft’ approaches aimed at tackling the socio-economic underpinnings of conflict and crime. Insecurity does not thrive in a vacuum. Some factors are precursory to it. These are the environmental conditions that both kindle and nurture insecurity.”

Part of the drivers of insecurity in Nigeria includes as identified by experts are: Ineffective and inadequate security architecture, ineffective and insufficient criminal justice system, easy access to small arms and light weapons, the existence of porous borders, easy access to illicit drugs, prevalence of poverty and unemployment, impact of climate change, multiplication of unaddressed socio-political and economic grievances, poor land use policies, agitations over resource control, and failure to address structural and constitutional deficiencies.

To address the socio-economic underpinnings of conflicts and crimes, the report recommends a host of interventions. These include: reviewing the Land Use Act and other extant laws, providing targeted education and skills training to youths in conflict areas, prioritising dialogue and alternative conflict resolution mechanisms, strengthening legislative and judicial responses to ensure quick dispensation of justice, embracing the use of strategic communications to win the hearts and minds of the populace, addressing abuses by the security forces, controlling access to arms and drugs, and embracing a national healing process and ensuring reparations for victims of conflicts and abuses.

“The current security architecture of Nigeria may have once been effective in tackling the challenges at their time of institution,” the report states.

“However, the challenges across the country have evolved significantly. There are new domains of security threats, while smaller and largely benign groups have evolved into well-armed transnational insurgent groups.

“This means the security and defence structures that worked in prior dispensations are currently struggling to keep up with the evolved challenges. The need for a defence and security sector reform is imperative.”

According to the report, such a reform should start with a comprehensive and consultative audit of the missions, doctrines, training and staffing of all the military, paramilitary and other security forces and agencies in the country to ensure an alignment with current and future security threats.

The result of the audit, the report adds, should provide a guide to how to better streamline, resource, staff and coordinate security agencies in the country.

The outcome of the comprehensive reform should incorporate mechanisms for significant boost in the number of security personnel, increased focus on accountability, more respect for rules of engagement and monitoring and evaluation, and greater coordination of intelligence gathering and usage.

It also recommended the mop up and control of the flow of small arms and light weapons, recruitment of more women in the security forces and introduction of more gender-sensitive policies, regulation of irregular security outfits across the country, and the introduction of a dedicated border patrol force to contain the unchecked flow of arms and terrorists/bandits across the country’s extensive borders.

“We recommend the creation of a border guard force focused on providing border security, as the  current role is being performed by the Nigerian Customs Service which considers border security a secondary priority to its primary focus of revenue generation,” the report stated.

“Nigeria can look at examples such as the Border Security Force and the Frontier Force in India, the Pakistan Rangers in Pakistan, and the Border Security Agency in Malaysia, among others.”

Part of its recommendations was the use of private security contractors but in a specified and controlled manner.

“It is a known fact that Nigeria’s security personnel are overstretched due to the persistent and widespread nature of current security challenges. This deficiency has allowed insecurity to fester.

“To relieve the security forces and to enable significant efforts to be applied to degrade the threats, the government should consider inviting private security contractors as it was done shortly before the general election in 2015 and use them to confront armed banditry in the North-west and North-central regions.

“The engagement should be handled through the security forces to assuage concerns in some quarters that the private military contractors are an indication of the non-appreciation by the political class of the security forces’ contribution and sacrifice. Clear objectives and measurement parameters should be set and monitored closely.”

As Nigeria celebrate another Independence Day, the citizens are patiently waiting to see how the approach of President Bola Tinubu could transform the security architecture of the country, such that the country can yet again enjoy those good old days where people could travel any time of the day without the fear of kidnappers, terrorists, armed rubbers among others.

Days when citizens could leave their doors open and sleep peacefully with their two eyes closed without the fear of thieves breaking into their homes.

O God of creation, direct our noble cause, guide our leaders right…

As Nigeria marks her 63rd Independence Anniversary on Sunday, Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has urged Nigerians at home and in the diaspora to support the administration of President Bola Tinubu and all state governments in their efforts to birth a new, prosperous Nigeria.

The Governor also implored Nigerians to continue to live with one another in love, unity and peace, irrespective of their religious or ethnic differences, adding that all the citizens’ support and encouragement are key for a better and prosperous Nigeria.

Governor Sanwo-Olu in a statement issued on Saturday by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Gboyega Akosile on the 63rd Independence Anniversary, said Nigerians should unite with renewed determination, hope and commitment to move the country forward against all odds, saying President Tinubu and all the 36 State Governors are committed to addressing different challenges currently being experienced across the country.

“Every October 1st is a time to reflect on the journey of our nationhood, to rededicate ourselves to the task of nation-building, and continue to work hard at building a formidable nation in Africa and the world at large.

“I wish to pay tribute to all of our heroes, past and present, founding fathers, nationalists and those who have laboured and sacrificed and all that continue to labour and sacrifice for peace, unity, growth and development of our country.

“As we celebrate our 63rd Independence Anniversary, I appeal to all Nigerians, particularly Lagos residents, to unite with renewed determination and commitment to move Nigeria and Lagos State forward against all odds. Let us continue to work together for peace in our dear Lagos State and Nigeria. Let us support President Bola Tinubu’s government to achieve his Renewed Hope agenda. Let our diversity be a source of strength and not a factor of disintegration.

“I want to use this medium to reassure Lagos residents of our administration’s commitment to the delivery of dividends of democracy, good governance and people-oriented programmes through the THEMES+ developmental agenda for Greater Lagos. We need continuous support from the people for us to achieve the Lagos of our dreams.

“I wish all Lagosians and Nigerians a Happy 63rd Independence Anniversary. May the labour of our heroes past and present never be in vain,” Governor Sanwo-Olu prayed.

A level-playing ground, with detest for camarilla or kitchen cabinet in a democracy, has been recommended to the presidency, as Nigeria inaugurated a new Executive Council.

Making the recommendation, Dr Thomas Olaleye Ogungbangbe has remarked that the new Ministers of the Federal Republic of Nigeria possess managerial ingenuity and commitment to effectively harness rational and orderly decisions on national issues, with determination to stimulate effective service delivery and convince the governed about the sincerity of the federal government to transform Nigeria into a prosperous nation.

He, however, noted with serious concern that any tendencies towards giving some Cabinet Ministers more power, more authority, more influence, more prominent role and more significant decision-making space than the rest of the members of Cabinet put together, in the garb of shadow cabinet, could give vitality to in-house misunderstanding and conspiracy clamped down from within to set the stage prepared for campaign of calumny. The development, he said, could register telling effect on system capacity enhancement for nation building, with misplacement of enthusiasm in the governed.

He saluted the youth and women demography of Nigeria’s new Executive Council, describing the evolution as popular, and not one to underplay; rather, it portends rewardingly pivotal effect on the next round of general elections. For practical purposes, that good number of youths and women in the new Cabinet is a great source of political power with their skills and abundant potentialities for maximum use.

And really, the young Ministers are a rare breed, desirable to double tick and tick blue their vibrant interest in politics to stir the electoral firmament of Nigeria like the currents of gentle winds and waves revitalise nutrient supplies. Meaning, Nigerian youths are no longer confused fellows with the picture of hopelessness, figuratively staring them in the face.

Ogungbangbe, a patriotic Nigerian, urged the ministerial seekers who never had it eventually to accept the finality of the screening exercise. He charged them to see the screening in the hallowed chamber of National Assembly (NASS) as the key to arriving at the best among equals, and asked the unconfirmed ministerial nominees to ignore any tension induced rhetoric, capable of igniting voiceless dissonance and deep personal animosities. He extolled NASS for the job done with integrity and transparency.

He had earlier extended his goodwill to the newly sworn-in members of Federal Cabinet and enjoined them to discharge their duties creditably. He noted the new Ministers’ contrasting backgrounds and experiences and cautioned them to always agree mutually to put their relations on even kneel based on reciprocal respect, cooperation, understanding and participation, enthusing that “the government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has a totally serious commitment to bringing about purposeful development of a regenerative orientation that would guarantee virile and productive economy.”

On probable procedural conflicts or political impasse between the Parliament and new Ministers, who the nation’s President told to see themselves as “Ministers of Nigeria, not region or states,” at inauguration, Ogungbangbe, a constitutional politician, enriched in capacity and amplitude in content and dimension, commended constant references to the relevant constitutional provisions to have any such cul-de-sac, standoff or gridlock resolved in favour of the governed. And on that strength, both the executive and legislative organs of the government could have moral delivery injected into the public.

Speaking on Osun State’s former Governor Gboyega Oyetola who’s newly inducted as the nation’s first Minister of Marine & Blue Economy, Ogungbangbe, a chieftain of All Progressives Congress, Ijesa North federal constituency of the state, expressed high confidence in the ability of Oyetola to actualise Tinubu’s policy direction on Nigeria’s maritime trade in petroleum products including crude oil, refined petroleum and Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) via maritime routes, together with ocean based assets, goods and services, other economic activities or resources provided by maritime ecosystem for Nigeria’s socio-economic developmental needs.

According to Ogungbangbe, the Ministry of Marine & Blue Economy will soonest realise that Oyetola is exceptionally hardworking and prudent, with focus on quality service delivery; and he works well with others for development productivity. And generally, his exceptionally rich work experience across sectors of the nation’s economy will profoundly assist him in his daunting task to make him achieve significant progress at Marine & Blue Economy under his watch, at the Ministry of Transportation, Bukar Dipcharima House, Central Business District FCT, Abuja, the domicile origin of his newly created portfolio.

“I have no doubts that Alhaji Oyetola is an epitome of benevolent effect to deliver in the ministry as an Oak Tree. I wish him a successful tenure of office,” he added.

Truly, Oyetola, CON, has a knack for ministerial responsibilities that lie in wait, including tackling such natural challenges to marine and blue economy as oceanic acidification, extreme water temperature, extreme weather events, and extreme rise in sea level from climate change crisis, threatening to the health of oceans. Tedious, laborious, one is wont to say but the immediate past Osun governor will make remarkably positive impact at his money-spinning Ministry of Marine & Blue Economy that is envisaged to increase the nation’s revenue, provide jobs, food security and livelihoods and create biodiversity.

Globally, Oyetola’s blue economy is estimated to be worth more than $1.5trillion, Africa’s estimate is put at US$300billion, and Nigeria, at about #88billion. Indeed, Oyetola’s gestures and strides, reflecting selflessness, sincerity, honesty, integrity, acumen and manifest prowess have earned him the appointment with implications for history in the new Ministry of Marine & Blue Economy where pioneering opportunities abound to further set records for posterity.

Recall, Osun, that will be celebrating 32 years of creation on August 27, famously showed empirical, verifiable attributes of development when Oyetola was at the helm as governor, a monumental legacy of steady and upward growth that pointed up Osun in national development.

Much more sustainable national development will soonest come with the recent oil subsidy removal that has begun to free up resources for other sectors of the Nigerian economy.

“The motivating force for our development as a nation must not continually depend on subsidised Petroleum Motor Spirit (PMS), commonly called petrol,” Ogungbangbe stated, adding that the industry accounted for 5.8 per cent of Nigeria’s real GDP and was responsible for 95 per cent of the nation’s foreign exchange earning and eight per cent of its budget revenue.

He called on relevant federal government agencies, including National Orientation Agency (NOA) to enlighten the governed and generate tremendous awareness continually on Tinubu’s good intention behind the removal of oil subsidies. And the governing APC across strata, to the ward level could turn a strategy house to re-awaken sufficient fervour, keenness in Nigerians and sensitize them to the benefits of removal of oil subsidies.

NOA and its ilk must tell Nigerians that the threats of social unrest and protests today upon the heat of fuel subsidy removal will be gone as the removal of subsidies anon, in good time, get the nation’s economic growth stimulated, market distortions or failures addressed, fiscal strains and potential dependency reduced, and social welfare in terms of the quality of life of the public enhanced.

Ogungbangbe gave kudos to the federal government’s reported #5billion and five trucks of rice to each of the federated States to alleviate the grinding actualities of the high cost of living occasioned by the removal of subsidies on petrol. He described Tinubu’s gesture as masses centric, best started, best communicated, and best coordinated, asking that it should be monitored down the line.

And amidst the on-going palliatives to the masses of this nation, with improved economy, productive infrastructure, job creation and security for all to follow, the military has no business to come in except constitutionally invited by Tinubu, the 16th and current President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. He has the political mandate of the people of Nigeria to govern, and not soldiers.

It’s not the duty of the army to seek political mandate to rule; the military only operates under the mandate of the democratically-elected government. “Democracy in Nigeria has fully come of age,” says Ogungbangbe, asking Nigerians to shun all speculation from the most unlikely quarters that the military could snatch political power. He appealed for the re-invigorated involvement of the governed in the unfolding political process, asking them to trust their leaders and eschew all negative acts.

Olusesi writes via isaacolusesi@ gmail.com (0806 168 5186 SMS only)