₦airaland Forum

Nigerian Govt Overwhelmed, Must Act To Stop Spread Of Militias, Violence, Says Kwankwaso

Former Kano State Governor, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has congratulated General Christopher Gwabin Musa on his appointment as Minister of Defence, while warning that the Federal Government is struggling to contain Nigeria’s escalating insecurity.

In a statement on Monday, Kwankwaso praised the new minister, expressing confidence in his capacity to restore stability.

"Finally, I wish to sincerely congratulate General Christopher Gwabin Musa on his well-deserved appointment as Minister of Defence. I am confident that, with the necessary political will and support, he possesses the competence and experience to make a significant difference in restoring security and stability to our nation," he said.

He, however, said recent developments point to severe national challenges.

"The recent developments in our country have filled me with deep personal concern about the state of our national affairs," he said.

Kwankwaso noted that his long experience in public service makes him aware of the obligations of government in addressing insecurity.

He said the Federal Government appears to be “overwhelmed” and unable to adequately respond to the security crisis.

“This is evident in its tacit endorsement to allow state governments to establish and deploy vigilante security outfits with little or no professional training. Such a policy, however well-intentioned, has inadvertently facilitated the uncontrolled proliferation of small arms and light weapons across the country," he said.

Kwankwaso warned that the situation has encouraged dangerous opportunism.

"Worst of all, individuals have begun taking advantage of this by setting up their militia, like we are seeing in the actions of some political elements. Such action further threatens the fragile peace in our country,” he said.

He also condemned rising ethnic profiling and harassment of citizens.

"Of equal concern is the rising wave of ethnic and regional profiling of Nigerian citizens within their own country. In recent times, we have witnessed disturbing reports of individuals, particularly from a part of the country, being arbitrarily targeted, harassed, arrested, and in some cases tortured in other parts of the country," he said.

He said online hate speech has worsened national tensions.

"This is compounded by the growing harassment, intimidation, and hate speech on social media, often fueled by ethnic and religious jingoism. These trends pose a grave threat to national unity and cohesion,” he said.

Kwankwaso urged urgent intervention from the authorities, saying, "The Federal Government must act decisively and without delay to reverse these dangerous developments before they spiral further out of control."

As a former Minister of Defence and former Chairman of the Committee on the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons, he said the spread of weapons is especially troubling.

His comments come as Southern governors and their Northern counterparts in separate meetings announced plans to strengthen regional security.

The state governments in Southwestern Nigeria for instance have a local security outfit named Amotekun.

Several states have formally recognised vigilante groups as part of efforts to combat the rising tide of kidnappings, banditry, and killings across the country.

kenben:
People dey talk dis one sef dey talk too? Ethnic jingoist playing politics of self delusion.

By the time he loses Kano he will regret his sitting on the fence and waiting for the nation to come and beg him. E think say Tinubu na Ebele?

anonimi:
How we foiled Jonathan’s effort to make Mulika Adeola Speaker, Akande reveals

AS president in 2011, Goodluck Jonathan did all he could to ensure South West grabbed the country’s number four seat, including lobbying then opposition leaders from the zone, to no avail. The North West eventually grabbed the seat, supported by South West leaders in opposition to then ruling party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Former Governor of Osun State and now statesman, Chief Bisi Akande, made this revelation in his autobiography, “My Participations” which is currently dominating political and national dis- course.

Aminu Tambuwal, now Sokoto State governor, won the seat, against the preferred pick of his party, Mrs Mulikat Adeola Akande, from the South-West. Defunct Action Congress of Nigeria, then a fledging opposition, which had Akande and his soulmate, former Lagos State governor, Senator Bola Tinubu, as front- line leaders, openly asked its elected members of the House of Representatives, mostly from the South-West, to work against their region and back Tambuwal from North-West.

The opposition party’s support carried Tambuwal through the contest against Akande, then ruling party’s favourite for the speakership seat.

In his book, Chief Akande revealed that former president then as incumbent, personally reached out to Tinubu, who is now believed to be nursing presidential aspiration in 2023 and himself, but couldn’t convince them.

He wrote, “President Jonathan, immediately after the meeting (with political parties), called Bola Tinubu aside into a lobby to broach the matter of ACN support for a choice of who would become the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

“That same day, President Jonathan talked to me on phone about the same matter. He disclosed that PDP had zoned the position to the South-West but that only one Muraina and another Mulika won elections on PDP ticket from the zone into the House of Representatives.

https://tribuneonlineng.com/how-we-foiled-jonathans-effort-to-make-mulika-adeola-speaker-akande-reveals/

YourNextLevel:
Hahhahahhahah now this one is talking ?

What a life !!!

Maxymilliano:
The presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu has explained why he delegated some members of the party to respond to questions posed to him.
According to the former Lagos Governor, he adopted the delegation method “to show team-ship”.

Tinubu spoke at the Chatham House lecture titled: ‘Nigeria’s 2023 elections: In conversation with Bola Ahmed Tinubu’, monitored by The Nation.

At the lecture, Tinubu after his opening remarks, assigned Kaduna Governor Nasir El-Rufai to speak on how his (Tinubu-led) government would address insecurity and asked the Director of Strategic Communication of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council, Dele Aleke, to respond to the question on oil theft.

https://thenationonlineng.net/why-i-delegated-el-rufai-ayade-others-to-answer-questions-at-chatham-house-tinubu/?utm_term=Autofeed&utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook#Echobox=1670262252

He said the Federal Government appears to be “overwhelmed” and unable to adequately respond to the security crisis.

tobenuel:
Baba T is now in office and his acting as if the bulk of security doesn't stop at his table


Well over to our able laptop boys to defend insecurity, it puts foods on their table

Reference:
Powerful individuals forming and arming militias as he alleged is symptomatic of a failed state and mirrors the situation in the Congo around the time of Joseph Kabila. Believe you me we don't want to get there. Just one step away from civil war.

Those that won't join us in calling for good governance but continue to play the ostrich or pat the present government behind the back in the face of very serious governance shortcomings should count their teeth with their tongues.

If you travel by road across the country from town to town you see all sorts of armed groups called 'vigilantes' taking over the roles of security agents and agencies.

These groups are not known by law yet they act in such capacity. This is state failure. Who funds these groups, who commands and directs them, what are their rules of engagement and most of all, who regulates them.

This is bringing a matchbox to dry tinder. It will only take one mistake, one miscalculation, one indiscretion and a full blown ethno-religious conflict can be ignited.

That is why I have continued to advocate for the restructuring of the country that will birth a new policing and security structure in Nigeria. One that will involve all the federating units, making it constitutional and legal. Having checks and balances and a uniform code of administration and operations.

So that I can sit in Sokoto or in Lagos and know what is lawful in Kebbi or Benue. And know that as a sojourner my security is guaranteed and I will receive a fair hearing as a non indigene or a non national.

There is so much work to be done. Unfortunately little is being proposed let alone done to address the challenges we wallow in. Poor governance in my opinion. Defeated citizenry, a certainty