By Adekunle Adekoya
There can be no further doubt in the minds of the average Nigerian that our dear country faces a clear and present danger on many fronts. The immediate one is the unrelenting wave of terror attacks, exemplified by repeated attacks on communities in Kwara State, which was preceded by abduction of Kebbi school girls, now said to have regained freedom.
Another problem the nation faces is with regard to the procurement, sale and use of narcotics and other psychotropic substances. The NDLEA, under General Mohammed Marwa has been doing a good job on that front, but he needs support. More on that another day.
In response, the president has declared an emergency on security, while other political office holders, particularly state governors opted to go into panic mode by ordering closure of public schools. Indeed, the Federal Government led the way in this regard by ordering closure of the unity schools. From where I’m sitting, writing this column, I can see a rattled political establishment scratching its head for solutions to this conundrum. And what I’m seeing are knee-jerk offerings and platitudes that cannot endure.
Apart from the fact that this problem is self-inflicted, going into panic mode with school closures can only worsen a very bad situation.
In the preceding days, a well-articulated package of advice hit the news, attributed to distinguished scholar and former foreign minister, Professor Bolaji Akinyemi. Key among his offerings was a call on government to activate the nation’s reserve force for its contribution. This is cogent. I support this, and indeed join my small voice to call on government to see how immediately this can be done.
There exists a corps of officers and men, retired but not tired that can be recalled into the military and Police to help the country in this time of great need. If we need more hands to help fight the anti-terror war, this is one sure source. All officers and men, retired but not tired, under the age of 70, should immediately be reactivated for service. In the short term, the manpower needed can be obtained, instead of waiting to train fresh recruits. It will take a much longer time to prepare a greenhorn for the war ahead than needed to reactivate a reservist.
That is as far as manpower goes. The other issue is about strategy. This situation must change immediately because the security architecture in place at the moment is reactive, responding only after the bad deed had been done, with lives and property already lost. It is shameful for us as a nation, and in fact very pathetic for the Inspector-General of Police to be visiting Kebbi, Niger and Kwara states and offering platitudes after the bad deeds had been done.
We should shift from reaction to proaction; there must be a deliberate and intentional shift to prevention. Prevention will generate deterrence and we will eventually arrive at a point where the bad guys will see nothing but futility in their endeavours. If we continue along this line, we will continue to get same of same, with its attendant shame, just as we have seen the results in those states that opted to negotiate with terrorists. Did the US negotiate with Al Qaeda? The battle line was drawn, they fought and are still fighting the terrorists. No giving up. Negotiation is a form of surrender. How can we surrender our country to marauding bandits? We cannot and MUST not!
So, we close secondary schools. Who says these dare-devils can’t invade a university or polytechnic, attack a lecture room and herd hapless students into the forests and start demanding ransom? So, we will now have to shut down the entire educational system as a solution? No way!
I have always said that there is no shame in copying; first, let’s do our homework, and choose the right example. Then we copy. In the ‘80s and ‘90s, the US discerned a threat to its existence from the influx of narcotics from some Latin American countries. In response, it was decided to attack the problem from its source, which then were the Medellin and Cali cartels whose business was cocaine.
It was an unrelenting war, fought with all the might that the US could muster from within and without. Success was achieved and though the problem exists, it had been severely, to borrow from the redoubtable Lai Mohammed, “degraded.”
Another worrisome dimension of this problem is the nature and operation of our information architecture as it relates to security. We have done NIN-SIM linkage, also with BVN. What use are these being put to? How do kidnappers and these bandits abduct people, herd them into forests and make calls demanding ransom? Is anybody anywhere tracking these calls? And in nine cases of ten, they get the ransom! When withdrawals are being made, no monitoring of BVN is being done?
It hit the news earlier this week that the acolyte of a famous Moslem cleric, Tukur Mamu, earned scores of millions as payback from terrorists. How did he get the money? When he did, where did he stash it? We play too much here, and we’re now reaping the dividends of our playfulness.
The wealthy, strong economies in the world do not joke with security. In fact, it is their primary business. Well travelled Nigerians will bear witness to the evidence of security consciousness on the part of the government and the governed in these countries. They invest massively in security, equip their security agencies and fund them to deliver on their mandate. Instead, what we have here is a security system that prioritise safety of the rulers and the privileged above the ruled and under-privileged.
If we have a responsive, proactive security system in place, every 2-bit businessman and emergency millionaire will not be cruising around in convoys with armed security men all the time. Imagine, all of 30,000 policemen on VIP security! And there are streets in our towns and cities where policemen are not seen except there are elections or security emergencies. We got too much wrong on this security issue and the time to reset is now.
To recap, I suggest to the authorities to activate the reserve capabilities of the armed forces and police. Government should also explore bilateral options for assistance from countries with proven public order and security architecture to secure the populace. In addition, technology should be deployed to monitor all that should be monitored while tracking those that need to be tracked. As a matter of urgency, I forward the position that the Nigerian Police needs at least 500,000 more men.
All these will need resources, but it can be found if we cut down on our profligacy. Let ministers and governors stop flying chartered jets all the time. Let’s cut down, immediately on the number of MDAs, while the National Assembly should stop making laws to create more. If we do these and more, we’ll free the trillions we need to fund our security needs, or else…
*Adekoya is a commentator on public issues
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