President Tinubu’s ministers of defence
The whole northern states are facing frightening security challenges. In the North East, we have Boko Haram, ISWAP and kidnappers. The same thing in the North West and North Central. In this part of Nigeria, to quote Thomas Hobbes: “ Life is nasty brutish and short.” The impact of the banditry and kidnapping on the […]
The whole northern states are facing frightening security challenges. In the North East, we have Boko Haram, ISWAP and kidnappers. The same thing in the North West and North Central.
In this part of Nigeria, to quote Thomas Hobbes: “ Life is nasty brutish and short.”
The impact of the banditry and kidnapping on the region, includes: death, rape, displacement of hundreds of thousands of people, loss of economic opportunities, including inability of farmers to access their farms; closure of schools, drop out of pupils because of fear of attack; impoverishment and hunger.
Another challenge is the cost implication of addressing insecurity. For example, recently, the Governor of Katsina State declared his intention to dedicate the entire 2023 budget to the security of the state. Although security is imperative for any development to be realized, the decision can adversely impact key sectors such as works, education, health and agriculture.
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Now, President Tinubu has again appointed northerners to address this menace. This means this time we must not waste the opportunity as we did during the Buhari administration. There should be no excuse for failure. Buhari has failed to restore security even in Katsina; we hope Tinubu will triumph this time.
The ministers to oversee the defence of our country are former state governors (chief security officers of their states). For these ministers to succeed, they must work with one agenda, a single blueprint. The National Security Adviser, ministers, the service chiefs and all the state governors must be on the same page.
The proposed strategy of trying to bribe criminals in the name of amnesty as suggested by Yariman Bakura will not work. It will only embolden the savages in the forests.
Repeating a mistake is not a mistake. Amnesty and dining with criminals has failed several times. Therefore, any attempt to employ this failed tactic will be seen as sabotage.
Although I am an advocate of addressing the root causes of insecurity through rolling out economic and social programmes, there is a need to deploy kinetic approach, as a short-term measure, to mitigate the immediate threats. Former U.S. president, George Washington said: “Offensive operations, often times, is the surest, If not the only means of defence.”
Comrade Bishir Dauda, Sabuwar Unguwa Katsina