Lack of Will Power by Leaders Nigeria’s Undoing, Says Sultan

Seriki Adinoyi in Jos

The President of the Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs and Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar, has stated that lack of will power to tackle head-on, Nigeria’s problems by the government was the country’s undoing.

He, therefore, urged Nigerians to speak out on the problems confronting them.

The Sultan stated this yesterday at a one-day retreat for traditional rulers from the six geopolitical zones of Nigeria with the theme: ”Role of Traditional Rulers in Community Policing in Nigeria’ held at the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS) Kuru, Plateau State”.

He stressed that people must speak out on the problems they are facing because “when you know you have problems, the problems are half solved.”

Sultan added, “When problems come, traditional rulers do not run away but political leaders do. Let us stop running away; let’s sit down and face the problems squarely. “The problems of this country started when traditional institutions were sidelined and kept aside. We speak for the progress of the country We don’t criticise the government but we tell government what it has done right and what it has done wrong, we are part of the government.”

In his address, the Oba of Lagos, Oba Rilwan Akiolu stated that with the geographical size and population of Nigeria, the need for local policing is very essential for the development of the country and to complements the work of the security agencies like the armed forces and the police. The monarch said the formation of community policing was very important, adding that certain factors must be put into consideration for maximum benefit, for the formation of community police for common socio-economic and political development.

According to him, “the people of the locality concerned are the one to be enlisted for the formation of community police. They must be people who have the knowledge of the area and all the nooks and crannies of their areas of responsibility like we presently have the formation of Lagos Neighborhood Safety Corps.”

He further posited that those that would be enlisted should be catered for in a way to ensure effective performance.

He added that they should be given adequate training, appropriate and commensurate renumeration to boost their morale and educational facilities for third children among others.

Oba Akinolu added that community police should have cooperative link chain with the traditional institutions of the area, who knows and wield some measure of authority and enjoyed some degree of obeisance from their subject for effective operation, training work of community policing.

Also speaking, the Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Nnaemeka Alfred Ugochukwu Achebe disclosed that community policing in Anambra State is working although not perfectly well.

He stressed that the community policing involves collaboration with the police, adding that it is not a new phenomenal but synonymous with the neighborhood watch which existed in the old good days.

He added that it was unfortunate that the police are suspicious of their activities.

Achebe also said that language was very important because if a policeman is unable to speak the language of the locals he is already disadvantaged.

Earlier, in his welcome address, Director General of NIPSS, Mr. Jonathan Mela Juma said President Mohammadu Buhari had tasked the National Institute with the very important duty to conduct a study on the insecurity in the country.

He said the outcome of the retreat will no doubt form part of the policy recommendations which will be presented at the annual parley with the President and members of his cabinet by November this year‎.