Security experts call for reform of policies on Nigeria security

They made the call at the Securex West Africa Exhibitions and Conference in Lagos.

Theme of the conference was: “Security Sector Reform and Policies in Nigeria, Addressing a Boundryless Operation Environment.”

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Securex West Africa is an exhibition and conference encompassing fire and rescue, commercial, Homeland and cyber security, organised by Afrocet Montgomery.

Mr Kunle Ajanaku, Special Adiviser to Gov. Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State on Security and Intelligence, said that there was need for reform in the nation’s security sector.

Ajanaku said that the reform process should include civil society groups, communities and local inclusiveness to ensure that everything about security was taken into cognisance.

He said that to engage people meaningfully, the Lagos State Government had established a fusion centre where all manners of reports were recorded and basic needs of people were met.

“To enlist people’s support, we need to satisfy them in terms of amenities at the rural level.

“An all inclusive security council should be created, initiate help to assist the police and establish a mainstream natural security into the system,” he said.

Also, Mr Wale Olaoye, the Chief Executive Officer, Halogen Security Company Limited, supported the calls for policy reform.

According to Olaoye, this will enable security officials to perform their roles as protectors of all Nigerians, and not for selected few.

“We need to contextualise Nigerian content in our policies, bearing three principles in mind; government, institution and people, as it will address human, national and local security,” he said.

In his remarks, Samuel Agbanusi, Head Corporate Security and Safety, Service and Technology, Union Bank, said that the existing policies could not give the country what it needed security wise.

Agbanusi said that the country could not give what it does not have, as there were existing security problems.

“We do not have the will power; we always have policies, what we need is policy continuity and there should be an enabling environment for things to thrive.

“We need to look inward, where did we go wrong, need a rejig of the whole system,” he said.

Agbanusi called for collaboration among security agencies to tackle security challenges in the country.

He said that the security agencies should operate with four key principles- equity, natural justice, good conscious and fair play.

Commenting, Mr Denis Amachree, Chief Executive Officer, Zoomlens Security Solutions, called for constitutional backing for security structure in the country.

According to him, there should be a paradigm shift in the policy, saying it was not created for the poor people, but for the elites.

“Starting from the independence, someone has been writing the constitution for us; it is not for the people, this should not continue.

“Nigeria is a very rich country, we are very educated with skills, and so the constitution should reflect the will of the people,” he said. (NAN)