TACKLING THE MENACE OF INSECURITY

The embarrassing tango going on between the ruling APC and the PDP over the failed condolence visit to Zamfara is a slap on over 22 years of so-called “democratic rule” in Nigeria.

Citing bad weather, the President’s defence that an unplanned road journey would have gone against all well-known protocol for a serving president is probably the worst excuse of this administration to shy away from its responsibility of protecting the lives and property of Nigerians.

Instead of giving excuses of travel protocol for the President, the Presidency should explain to Nigerians why there seems to be no end to incessant attacks by terrorists and bandits from Zamfara to Abia State.

The Presidency scores itself high on security but all parts of Nigeria have been bedeviled by insurgency, terrorism, and brigandage from Boko Haram, banditry, kidnapping, herdsmen’s clashes, and heightened activities of unknown gunmen who have infiltrated the country from all over Africa and continue to leave Nigeria in a state of depression, despair and near death.

In mid-January, over 200 Nigerians were killed in about nine villages when terrorists attacked Anka and Bukkuyum LGAs in Zamfara State, yet the Presidency’s excuse is bad weather, and later lack of travel preparation as reasons the president has not commiserated with the victims. One begs to wonder what the value of human life is in Nigeria, a country where leaders don’t give any recourse or thought to humanity or the lives of its citizens.

It has taken the president over three weeks to decide whether to visit the people of Anka and Bukkuyum LGAs. It’s already a week since the cancellation and the president was magnanimous to have sent a recorded broadcast instead.

In 2020, President Buhari refused to visit the victims of terrorist attacks in Government Science Secondary School Kankara, Katsina State when over 300 schoolboys were kidnapped even though the President visited Katsina a few days after the abduction.

While the president has in the past either sent a condolence message or refused to pay a courtesy visit to grieving victims in the Northern part of the country, that is really not why he was elected.

The president was not elected to be paying visits or sending condolence messages to victims of terrorism. The president was elected to secure the lives and property of Nigerians.

He was elected to secure our borders and the territorial integrity of Nigeria. We instead have a president who has been reduced to sending recorded condolence messages to those whom he swore to protect. Buhari promised Nigerians to lead from the front at Chatham House, United Kingdom.

The PDP and APC administrations have both failed to tackle the insecurity challenges of Nigeria. Insecurity has now become a national burden that gulps billions of naira with little or no impact.

With the current deterioration in services across the country which can be traced to the incompetence of both PDP and APC, this isn’t the time to point fingers and ask others if they did better during their own administration. We should be taking stock because 22 years is a long enough time to mature and grow.

This administration and its predecessor are like a twin in a pod: nothing unique can ever be expected from them other than finger pointing. We demand as a matter of urgency that President Buhari should lead responsibly and tackle the issue of insecurity. As the 2023 Election approaches, we hope and expect that credible alternative party, ADC will show them how true leadership is done.

Chief Ralph Okey Nwosu,

ADC National Chairman