By Akeem Abas, NAN
Ibadan, March 12, 2022 (NAN) Gov. Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano State says insecurity in the country can be addressed with robust combination of legislative and judicial interventions as well as government reforms. He gave the advice at the 2022 Alumni Lecture of the University of Ibadan.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Ganduje, who was a guest at the coronation of the 42nd Olubadan of Ibadanland earlier, will inaugurate a N250million ultramodern Hall in the University on Saturday. The governor in his lecture, entitled ‘Challenges of Insecurity and Nation Building’, said the nation faces lingering security challenges. “Nigeria faces a range of security challenges, including terrorism, banditry, kidnappings, drug trafficking, cybercrimes, robberies, weapons proliferation, human trafficking, communal clashes, ethnic nationalisms and militancy.
“Also, manipulations of social media and hate speeches, economic and financial crimes, subversive activities, herdsmen/ farmers clashes, youth unemployment and piracy, among many others. “Therefore, for efforts to tackle insecurity to be effective, there must be a robust combination of legislative and judicial interventions.”With government reforms that address some of the acute human security challenges confronting a vast majority of the population.”
He said that daily life of citizens had been severely affected by the lingering security challenges. The governor suggested the formulation and effective implementation of policies and programmes to address the root causes of insecurity in Nigeria.”The formulation and effective implementation of policies and programmes capable of addressing the root causes of insecurity in Nigeria is crucial.
“Especially with regard to poverty, unemployment, environmental degradation, injustice, corruption, porous borders and small arms proliferation.”Ganduje described the recent law, which brands kidnapping as an act of terrorism, as a right step in the right direction. According to him, the menace of insecurity no doubt calls for a new approach that will be founded on credible intelligence gathering.”There is also the need to modernise the security agencies with training, intelligence sharing, advanced technology, logistics, motivation and change of orientation.”
He urged the government to continue to engage with security personnel, devote more attention to security intelligence and capacity building to meet global best practice standard, while acquiring modern technology. The governor said this would enhance operational capability of the Nigerian security agencies by identifying avenues to enable them respond appropriately to internal security challenges and other threats. “There should be a complete overhaul of the security institutions in the country to reflect international standards of best practices.
“So as to pre-empt these security breaches, in particular, the failure of the intelligence services to contain the recurring security breaches. “There should be an institutionalised approach rather than the episodic and reactive response adopted by the government in the aftermath of attacks.”
Ganduje said government, at all levels, should not compromise in the efforts to enforce the law. He said that the judiciary ought to have, at this stage of the nation’s development, evolved time scales for cases. According to him, there ought to have been a time to determine a cause, time to close that case and time to deliver judgement and pass sentences.
“In Nigeria, cases that border on insecurity have, most often, been compromised; thus, the law is no longer acting as a deterrent. “Our law enforcement agencies must therefore be incorruptible and fair. “To ensure all this, there must be incentives, good conditions of service and social security,” Ganduje said. (NAN)
TAA/