By Francis Ezediuno The current security challenges confronting the nation have raised huge cause for alarm and the government ought...
By Francis Ezediuno
The current security challenges confronting the nation have
raised huge cause for alarm and the government ought to have declared a war on
banditry and insurgency.
Making this assertion in Osogbo, a public affairs analyst,
Steven Oladungoye said Nigerians are now disillusioned with the government of
the day and cannot wait for 2023 for it all to come to an end.
Oladungoye also added that the onslaught of terrorists in
the North East and bandits in the North West is now having a ripple effect on
the rest of the country and is beginning to negatively impact all spheres of
life.
In his words, the analyst said “Reality has dawned on
Nigerians that this administration has failed in the area of security. Enough
of what the government is selling to us. It is now glaring that all is not well
with Nigeria.
“Our economy is down. Education is suffering. The security
blanket is beginning to have gaping holes.
“Nigerians don’t have confidence that this government will
provide the solution we need. As it is now, all this administration wants to do
is just to hand over to another administration and run away.”
Oladungoye called on the administration of President
Muhammadu Buhari to be proactive in dealing with the security issue adding that
as the Commander-In-Chief of the nation’s armed forces, he seemed not to be in
tune with the current realities.
While reiterating that Nigeria was at war, he urged
President Buhari to take upon himself emergency powers and crush insurgency
once and for all.
“President Goodluck Jonathan is the only Nigerian President
in recent times who have exercised that emergency powers. He did it and a
measure of success was achieved.
“The current reality is that Nigeria is at war. Unlike the
war of 1967 to 1970, this is a new type of warfare.
“Between 1967 and 1970, we only quarrelled among ourselves
but now the very soul of the nation is at stake.
“Good and evil are at war and by all means, good must win
this war.”
On the recent move by the minority caucus in the Senate and
House of Representatives to impeach President Buhari, Oladungoye held that it
is a move that will not succeed.
“I don’t think it will work out. They have been many
instances where a Nigerian President was supposed to be impeached but it never
worked out.
“It may work out when we have different political parties
heading the executive and legislature but it can’t happen when the same party
controls both arms of government.
“Their action will rattle the government and put them on
their toes but the impeachment proceedings will die.
“They are on vacation now. Just wait and see what will
happen when they resume.”
While he maintained that the redeployment of army personnel
around the country is not the solution to the problem, he suggested that taking
the fight to the terrorists was the best means of nipping the insurgency in the
bud.
“Remember this popular saying that attack is the best form
of defence. Let’s take the fight to the enemy. Let’s fight them in their own
way. How do we do that? Intelligent gathering.
“In the area of intelligence gathering, Nigeria is lagging
behind. Even a small child knows that in these days of technological
advancements, there are lots of tools to go about that.
“Instead of the government to so that, it is also busy
fighting it is citizens, clamping down in free speech.”
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