The leadership of the Labour Party is pleased with the expressions by the nation’s security chiefs after Monday’s security meeting that they are going to work tirelessly to ensure that they accomplish the objective of securing our country and will establish peace and stability. They further pledged that it was time for Nigerians to get their lives back.
However, the suggestion that ‘calm” situation in Nigeria being presently witnessed implies that security in Nigeria has improved in the last one year under the present government is deceptive. The Labour thinks that the assertion was done in a haste as the situation on ground still suggests otherwise.
Insecurity is still surging. Last Friday, no less than five persons were killed and 11 others injured after suspected terrorists fired a rocket-propelled grenade at Dambia town in Borno State. That same day, worshippers were reportedly attacked in Ogun state leaving behind the pentecostal pastor dead while 7 worshippers kidnapped. Scores of lives have been lost in Kaduna, Niger and Zamfara states to the bandits in some cases over unpaid levy while hundreds were either injured or kidnapped.
There have been increasing rate of armed robbery, kidnapping and other forms of crimes in South East, South South and across the nation. It is therefore a worrisome development for anyone to begin to politicize the security situation in Nigeria. Nigeria is unsafe today and we think we should not pretend about it
Labour Party has no doubt about the capacity and capability of the present security chiefs but we think that Nigerians deserve action more that beautiful speeches and rhetorics as witnessed in the last administration. While that administration continued to blow its trumpet on how it had reduced insecurity or technically degraded terrorist activities, the rate of killings and kidnapping in the country was horrifying and had continued unabated. According to a Nigeria Security Incidents Tracker report by Beacon Consulting, a security firm, a total of 12,426 persons were abducted in Nigeria between January 1, 2021 and May 2, 2023.
Labour Party would want to remind the security chiefs about some celebrated abductions that are still unresolved. More than 80 out of 264 Chibok school girls abducted since April 14, 2014 have spent over 9 years in captivity. Leah Sharibu and many others are still in the forest yet to be rescued. Nigerians would not be in a hurry to forget the March 2022 terror attack on Abuja-Kaduna train that led to several deaths, while 60 passengers were abducted.
All these have continued in spite of huge budgetary allocation appropriated for security purpose. In January 2023, the Buhari regime revealed that over $1bn had been spent on the acquisition of weapons from the United States and other countries in the fight against insurgency since it assumed office in 2015.
Even with the huge spending, things are not getting better. Part of the reason is the fact that kidnapping has becoming a booming business. A whooping sum of N13.662bn was reportedly paid as ransom to kidnappers in Nigeria within a period of 11 years, a figure which covered from June 2011 to July 11, 2022. Also, about N653.7m was paid as ransom in Nigeria between July 2021 and June 2022 for the release of captives.
The issue of insecurity must always be a priority to any government because the primary responsibility of government is to ensure the security of lives and property. In fact, it is the right of every citizen as stated in Chapter 4 of the 1999 Constitution to enjoy security of life and property. Succinctly put, Section 14 states that the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of the government.
Buhari led APC government failed woefully in the area of providing security and we urge that primordial interest should be put aside. Only a secured nation can attract the much needed investments to Nigeria.
SIGN
Obiora Ifoh
National Publicity Secretary, LABOUR PARTY
04-07-2023
