We always wonder when we hear stories of Nigeria’s state of insecurity and the increasing rate of poverty which was caused by activities of some corrupt persons who diverted money meant for developmental purposes for their selfish use and today the nation is being categorized as the new global headquarters of poverty by a recent Brooking report.
The recent massacre of innocent persons in Plateau state has further exposed the deteriorating and very disheartening level of insecurity in our nation. This time around the number of deaths has reached an intolerable height that calls for condemnation by all lovers of peace, security, democracy and harmony.
While we grapple with the biting economic situation, even when the recession is deemed to be over, Nigerians are inadvertently faced with such a senseless butchering of human lives and the attendant destruction of properties of the people in Plateau, Benue, Nasarawa, Kaduna, Taraba, Adamawa, Zamfara, Kogi, Enugu, Ebonyi and Cross Rivers state etc.
It is the view of most Nigerians and other well-meaning people across the world that the quantum of these despicable blood-letting attacks on innocent souls makes mockery of the sanctity of human life in the country.
As usual, however, when we find ourselves in such dilemma, President Muhammadu Buhari has promised to rejig the country’s security system. We are told that the president has now taken enough steps, especially the reorganization that he plans to put in place to ensure that this does not happen again.
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Yakubu Dogara who disclosed the outcome of their meeting with the president over the security situation in the country, noted that they have briefed the president on other measures and actions that will help bring lasting peace in our country in accordance with the resolutions passed at the joint emergency closed door session of the National Assembly, held some weeks ago.
“These are very sober moments for all of us. In a situation where people in hundreds continue to be killed, we can no longer tolerate this kind of situation as a government,” Hon Dogara maintained. But, we hopefully pray that this will not be taken lightly as when President Buhari delegated the Inspector General of Police to relocate to Benue state some time ago to check the volatile situation there, but surprisingly, it was later discovered that the directive of the Mr. President was not carried out.
In fact, it is our expectation that the shakeup in the security apparatus of the nation should be done with the interest of the nation in mind and there should be no “sacred cows”. That is the only way the orgy of killings and violence can be resolved.
Just as we are troubled about the insecurity of lives and properties of the citizens, we should also reflect on the fact that there may be some element of truth in the Brookings report that rated Nigeria as the new global headquarters of poverty.
The president, the National Assembly and other elected and appointed Nigerians in government should look inwards and make some sacrifices from their huge entitlements that can be channeled towards ameliorating the plight of the poor masses that they are representing. As leaders they are servants of the people, that is why they were sent there in the first place.
Auwalu Nakarkata Dambatta, Kano
