Hunters Weekly Editorial: Security is Everybody’s Concern

The current security situation in the country calls for serious concern. The matter seems to have gone beyond control as the insurgents who they claimed are from the neighbouring countries now kidnap and maim innocent children. Also, not forgetting the recent bomb blast in Nyanya, a suburb in Abuja.

Reactions have continued to trail the security situation, while some are giving suggestions to help government, others are blaming the federal government for its inability to nip the menace in the bud. Some politicians are not left out as some of them are now playing politics with it.

We believe that the people that started insurgency in the country never knew that it was going to be hijacked by other criminals outside the country hence the need for government to deal decisively with the people behind Boko Haram without looking back so that anybody forming any militancy group would disease from it.

However, it will be wrong for some people to think that security issues should be left in the hands of security agencies and government alone. Security as far as the present situation is concerned, is everybody’s business. It is a Nigerian project.

If Nigeria is not safe, everybody will not be safe. Even if we as individuals are in safe haven, what about our relatives and friends?

The Primate of All Nigeria Anglican Communion, His Grace, Most Reverend Nicholas D. Okoh, recently said security battle is not the government battle but our (Nigerian) battle. According to him, “If Nigerians keep quiet then Boko Haram will destroy them, if Nigerians will not keep quiet Boko Haram will be destroyed.”

This is the reason why politicians who are capitalizing on the present situation to use it as a campaign tool, to disease from it. This is not time to shift blames because if a thorough investigation is carried out, it will still bounce back to them.

Moreover, if the security of the country is tampered with, there won’t be governance, if Nigeria disintegrates, politicians will be the first to be affected.

Also, Primate Okoh in an interview advised politicians to stop playing politics with national security. “In other countries when there is threat to the government and its unity, people fuse together, they come together; even the oppositions all come together. To fight the insecurity and remain together, they must come together then thereafter partisan politics can continue. So in our country we must learn this when there is a threat to our unity, all other things must stop and the security of the nation becomes the agenda of everyone. This is very important; all government agencies must come out openly to support the government fight terrorism.”

However, security personnel should also not see themselves as the all and all. In other countries, people who have not worn security uniforms are consulted from time to time and the same should be in this country.

Some people are talented, knowledgeable and grounded when it comes to security matters. Government should not leave security issues in the hands of security personnel alone.

It is also worthy to note that siren blaring is not security, if it was, many developed countries would still have been using it. More worrisome is that apart from the people specified by law to use it, every dick and harry have capitalize on it including criminals, using it to clear the road whenever they want easy passage. What ordinarily should be used by ambulance, fire service and police during emergency situations.

As the country is looking for solution to curb the menace, Police and other security agencies should stop the acts of intimidation. Research has shown that people are afraid to give information because of the fear of being intimidated or indicted. The citizens can only be the friends of Police and others if only they are ready to cooperate with the people.

The traditional institutions or rulers also have a lot to do to curtail the insurgency in the country because they are government representatives. They should show more commitment by mobilizing the grassroots towards achieving safety in their domains. It is not enough for them to be issuing statements.

If they keep quiet, who knows who the next victim will be, it is better for them to mobilize their subjects against criminals in their domains. They are closer to the people than the government.

But if we continue to keep quiet just like our father in the Lord, Primate Okoh said, “If you don’t do something about yourself you will die, we must all become security agents.”