Key matters of national interest are core subjects which do demand critical attention. Such subjects as security, are matters requiring the corroboration of hands to ensure a peaceful and safe atmosphere for appreciable cohabitation. The circumstances that insecurity pose is such that the ravaging effects would transcend the individualistic tendencies that impacted them. Hence, the collision of interests on matters of national importance demanding cohesive efforts, is a misplacement of disposition against national healthiness.
As one of the central layout of the fabrics that holds society together, the place of security is incontestably on the radar of subjects demanding unflinching efforts from all sides – persons, groups, associations, to mention but a few. Reducing the necessity to prank playing, portends danger whose end result may defy any form of affiliation. Hence, the accusations of playing politics with security matters as observed in Nigeria is a misplacement of rationality, and by and large, setting national interest at the mercy of myopic and segmental affiliations which by all means, constitute inimical forces of disturbances to further divide and weaken the fabrics of the Country, than uniting the framework for strength against threats to peaceful and healthy cohabitation.
The drumbeats of accusations and counter accusations with perceptions portraying reducing the insecurity challenges of the Country to political gimmicks, is condemnable when consideration is given to the ravaging effects the challenges of insecurity have impacted on the Country. The depth of the ravaging effects make it become ridiculous to think of playing pranks, political shenanigans and trade-blame with the worsening insecurity challenges of the Country. The accusations of sponsorship and or allegations of being guilty of insecurity challenges in the Country along partly lines, have become so rife since the profile of insecurity in the Country began to wax gross, particularly since 2013. Till present, railing accusations along party lines for being responsible for security threats have not ceased.
The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) on Monday accused the main opposition, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) of sponsoring strings of violent attacks in some parts of the Country as part of its schemes to discredit the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration. The party making historical recourse with allegations that the PDP was chased out of power in 2015 on account of the lacklustre performance in security, maintained that the later is not fit to speak on how the present government is tackling insecurity in the Country.
The National Secretary of the APC Caretaker Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC), Sen. John Akpanudoedehe, who portrayed the position in a statement on Monday said in quote: “…going by the major role played and the negligent handling of insecurity by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) when it was in government, the failed opposition party is seriously unqualified to speak on how this government is tackling insecurity and the attendant rot the PDP left behind. The PDP apparently chooses to forget how the same insecurity it now desperately seeks to politicise, metamorphosed and festered under its watch which ultimately led Nigerians to overwhelmingly reject it in the 2015 elections through their votes. The country’s capital, Abuja became the epicentre of Boko Haram attacks with brazen bomb attacks on the United Nations building, the Police Headquarters, recreation centres, markets, motor parks and Eagle Square where foreign heads of governments gathered to celebrate the country’s independence, among others. Lest we forget monies meant to buy arms to fight insurgents was stolen and diverted to private pockets of PDP members and their cronies while Boko Haram seized Nigeria’s territory and hoisted their flags.
“…the APC is not oblivious of the politically-motivated security incidents being sponsored to discredit and destabilise this government. These evil sponsors and perpetrators will soon be unravelled and made to face the full weight of the law. So, for the PDP to suggest the country’s security situation is at its worst when it was rejected by the electorates in 2015 shows that its leadership is out of touch with the state of the nation, particularly successes recorded by this government in safeguarding lives and livelihoods of Nigerians. While the PDP labours to politicise security incidents in some parts of the country, the truth is this government’s promise of ending insecurity is on course and would soon be realised.”
The need for the political gladiators in Nigeria to desist from playing pranks and political shenanigans with core matters of national interest is paramount. Reducing the worsened security challenges of the Country to political allegations and counter allegations, is laughable and condemnable of a political class. It has become paramount that the language that the prevailing insecurity situation demands, is one of concourse of cohesive voice in the light of concerted efforts galvanised against the workings of mischief prevailing in the Country. While it is indisputable that politics is a game of interests which would attract competitive and comparative navigations, it is however, significant that such possibilities be not overblown to core matters of central effects demanding cohesion for the entire nation.
Hence, it is paramount that playing gimmicks of politics should have its limit and not extended to subjects where the unification of one voice is sine qua non. It is indisputable that the ravaging effects of the worsening state of insecurity in the Country would leave no one untouched. Hence, playing political shenanigans with such subject only holds threats beyond the imaginable – even to those who may not be aware of the consequences of their actions. It is therefore, imperative that when matters come to shelving aside political and party affiliation, the political class as leading light, should shine forth brightness to Nigerians reflecting how to cohesively bring them together in the unity of purpose to conquer the walls of national challenges that leaves no one untouched.