By Steve Ovirih
Better Nigeria USA (BNU), a cohesive network of Nigerian professionals in the United States of America has raised the alarm over the unrelenting security threat that is already bringing the Nigerian state to her knees. The Pan Nigerian movement is miffed at the not so encouraging disposition of government towards stemming the ugly trend.
Pastor Adesokan, a member of BNU who spoke with this reporter from his base in New Jersey said he is particular about the state of the nation because regardless of the fact that he is abroad, he is still very connected to his roots. He noted that it is quite unfortunate that there is security collapse in the most populated country of the black continent.
Pastor Adesokan said he lives in New Jersey and works in New York but in Nigeria, to travel between Lagos and Ibadan highways is a very scary venture because of the fear of kidnappers who have turned the highways to a hot spot of criminal activities. On the way forward, Pastor Adesokan charged the Nigerian government to think out of the box.
Dr. Mrs. Fatima Lawson, BNU Director of Education and Human Services, speaking from her base in Minnesota, said the growth and development of Boko Haram insurgency has to date posed the most enduring security risk the country has seen in recent times. ” It has not only caused fear but also has it destabilized the North Eastern part of Nigeria, and it is still doing so and even moving down South.
” Farmers – herders clash is another security concern in the country. These clashes have brought the middle belt to its knees. The prolonged violence, which unfortunately is becoming tribal and religious is a recipe for disaster if not addressed ,” Dr. Lawson stated.
She added that as someone whose family has been a victim of banditry, she knows for a fact that desperate Nigerians have gone rogue kidnapping for ransom and killing victims with reckless abandon.
Dr. Fatima counseled Nigerian government to show more empathy towards the plight of Nigerians whose psyche is battered and raped by the unceasing orgy of violence in the country. ” Government should ensure that every working Nigerian who depends on salary is paid to time and adequately too.
” It is obvious that the Nigerian cannot address the challenge of Boko Haram, banditry and kidnapping alone, so government should urgently accept the help of countries like USA which has adequate expertise in counter terrorism ,” Dr Fatima Lawson added.
Ambassador Chief Titus Amadi, Secretary General of Better Nigeria USA, who spoke from his base in Michigan said his take on the high rate of insecurity in Nigeria is not different from the take of other Nigerians either at home or in The Diaspora, stressing that it is really disturbing how Nigeria got to this sorry bend. He said the disposition of government from Federal, State to Local Government in Nigeria shows they are inept, adding that if the government the people willingly voted for continues to be non responsive nothing else will work in the country.
” If the operators of government continue to drive on a long wrong route for miles, best thing to do is for them to turn round and face a more correct direction. Only a responsive government can fight back and bring insurgency and security threat in the country to an end,” Ambassador Amadi stressed.
The Head of Security Committee, Better Nigeria USA, Mr. Charley Olakunle Oribamise added his voice thus, ” we in The Diaspora are very concerned about the security challenge in Nigeria . The privileges we have and enjoy in other parts of the world where people enjoy unrestrained security and property are protected are not available in Nigeria. We wish Nigeria can enjoy perfect protection of life and property like it happens elsewhere , unfortunately the reverse is the case .
“There are some fundamental policies of government which if executed, it will put an end to banditry , kidnapping, insurgency and all sorts of threat to mutual coexistence of the good people of Nigeria,” Mr. Oribamise noted.
Mr. Oribamise who spoke with our reporter from his base in Minnesota gave a three dimensional counsel which he said would end the insecurity challenge in Nigeria. ” The President needs political will to execute these policies, but it must be noted that the silence from the Presidency has energized the criminal elements and encouraged the perpetration of their activities. First, the President should give an order that anyone who is in the possession of Ak 47 riffle should surrender them within 3 months after which who ever is caught will be prosecuted and jailed. Second, government should endeavor to shut the porous borders of Nigeria in the North ; it is wrong how every other African has assess to Nigeria because of the porosity of the borders.
” Finally, government should outlaw open grazing in Nigeria because cattle rearing is a private business. It is wrong to take cattle to other people’s region and make obvious attempt to destroy their farm lands, their own means of livelihood because of your own business, ” Mr. Charley Olakunle Oribamise firmly maintained. He said the threat to insecurity in the country will fade away if Federal Government will summon the political courage to execute these policies.
Former United Nations Diplomat, Dr. Salewa Olafioye, Chairman BNU, in his own contribution said there is no doubt that internal insurrection and external aggression can threaten the best of Democracies, how much less a budding Democracy such as ours in Nigeria. He charged the Federal Government to be alive to its responsibility which include the protection of lives and property of citizens.
“Nigeria has suffered Boko Haram insurgency, she has suffered banditry and she is now groaning under the burden of indiscriminate kidnapping for ransom. The people that are weighed down by the burden of insecurity are the masses who cannot book a flight to their destination no matter how terrible and how embarrassingly insecure the roads are. As a citizen of Nigeria, as a Nigerian in The Diaspora and as a BNU stakeholder, who represents the Nigerian brand wherever I find myself, I want to appeal to the Federal Government to call a stakeholders summit on security and let all the regions sit at a roundtable to discuss and agree on a cohesive approach to fight and win the battle on insecurity that is challenging the foundation of the Nigerian state,” Dr. Salewa Olafioye advised.
