BY OMOH GABRIEL, Business
Editor
HOW has Nigeria degenerated to
this low level of animal
behaviour of killing one another
across the country? Nigerian
leaders appear helpless. When
as a people we collectively
surrendered our sovereignty to
the state to take care of all, it is
the expectation that the state will
protect us all. It will act in the
best interest of all of us.
Nigerians are afraid of their
safety in almost every part of the
country and the North East in
particular. At a time, many well
meaning Nigerians thought that
the problem was about
corruption and power failure,
but now insecurity has taken
over.
With what is happening nation
wide, killings, kidnappings and
hostage taking, the President that
Nigerians have collectively
mandated to act on their behalf
owe Nigerians a duty to come
out strong and call the shots. He
has to face the security
challenges. He should be the
President he was elected to be
and must come out of his shell
and rule as a man. He owes no
one any apology to do the
needful to secure the country. It
is better for a man to answer his
father’s name for posterity to
hold him in high esteem than for
him to bury his father’s name
and answer the name of a
stranger.
It is very clear from all
indications that not enough is
being done to address the
security challenges. Or is it that
Mr. President and the service
chiefs are afraid of certain set of
people? Or is it because of 2015
election? Mr. President should
say to hell with second term and
come down heavily on those
promoting trouble in the country
whoever they may be. The
President cannot be passive
about this security challenge.
One thing is clear in all of this.
The President has failed in his
constitutional duty to defend
and protect the people he swore
to protect thus far. He should go
to the root of these security
challenges. The state of
insecurity must be attributed to
the menace of the extremist/
criminals to security lapses,
everything in this country is
being polarised even to the
security agencies. All they now
do is to promote their religion
instead of protecting Nigeria.
Closing theborders
The President has several
options to tackle this menace
once and for all. He should as a
matter of urgency declare a state
of emergency in any part of the
country where criminals in what
ever name are reigning
supreme. He should close the
borders and begin an immediate
house to house search for arms,
weapons and criminals. Until the
menace is solved the borders
should remain closed. When
criminals were terrorizing Nigeria
from Benin Republic, Obasanjo
simply closed the land borders
and a week later, Tijani who was
the brain behind the criminal
activity was handed over by
Beninois authority to Nigeria.
Just last month in the United
States of America, the
government shut down Botson
and Waterfront town in search of
two terrorists who killed a
policeman and three civilians at
the Botson marathon bombing.
Botson residents were asked to
stay indoors. Rail, road water
and air transport in Botson were
shut down, no movement until
the criminal was taken into
custody. Why should this
government be afraid in applying
the same principles? This
government should as a matter
of national urgency overhaul its
security system. Mr. President
must realize that he can only be
president if there is Nigeria. With
what is going on across the
country the stage is being set for
the unexpected. What that may
be is a guess for all.
President Jonathan must act
now to avoid the prediction
from USA that Nigeria may
disintegrate by 2015. Nigeria
occupies an enviable position in
the world with abundant natural
and human resources. The
President should look deeper in
order to find a lasting solution to
this carnage. This President
should not allow this country to
disintegrate.
Nigeria, as a country, does not
have a record of arms and
bomb manufacturing. The
citizens at this time are tired with
the usual press releases issued
anytime a crisis happens. This is
a challenge to Mr. President. The
Federal Government must move
urgently to shake up the security
apparatus to assure Nigerians
and the international community
of its capacity to guarantee the
security of lives and property in
the country.
www.punchng.com

probability of nigeria distingeration is close to1. but i want 2 nations-bokoram and southern nigeria.

seems that way.

They way we are heading right now with treats every where, i can say YES because we have never had it this bad before.