By; FUNMI ADERINTO, Kaduna
Governor of Kaduna State, Senator Uba Sani yesterday, said that to overcome insecurity in Nigeria, there is need for effective intelligence gathering and surveillance so that law enforcement agents can be proactive and reasonably predict potential crime with near perfect accuracy rather than being reactive.
The governor who served as the special guest of honour, stated this while declaring open, the 6th Annual Interfaith Dialogue Forum for Peace Conference, with the theme, “Tackling Poverty and Insecurity in Nigeria: Our Collective Responsibility” which was held in Kaduna.
Governor Uba Sani, Deputy Governor, Dr. Hadiza Sabuwa Balarabe, and other senior government officials attended the 6th Annual Interfaith Peace Conference at Hotel Seventeen in Kaduna.
Speaking at the event, he said, “In Kaduna State, we celebrate diversity. Our diversity is our strength. Conflict entrepreneurs have tried to pull us apart, but we have taken the battle to their doorsteps. We are harnessing our diversity and turning it into an asset.
“We are reshaping Kaduna State and making it a model of development, ethnic harmony and cooperation. We have committed ourselves to running a pro-people, pro-poor and all inclusive administration. Under my watch, equity and justice shall reign supreme in Kaduna State.
“Kaduna State is a miniature Nigeria. If you understand Kaduna State, chances are that you will understand Nigeria with its challenges, complexities and possibilities.
“Your choice of theme for this conference, ‘Tackling Poverty and Insecurity in Nigeria: Our Collective Responsibilities’ is apt. Poverty and Insecurity are the biggest challenges facing our country.
“The increasing poverty level is a major source of worry for political leaders. Addressing the issue of poverty is critical to restoring the people’s faith in our democracy. We are still struggling to address developmental challenges, especially in the areas of infrastructure, education, health, agriculture, and security.
“This is the time for all stakeholders to join hands to tackle our security and developmental challenges. We must however approach our problems from a position of knowledge.
“Our approach must be evidence -based. The starting point towards addressing insecurity in Nigeria is to carry out a comprehensive diagnostic review of the causes of insecurity in Nigeria,” he said.
According to him, research has a key role to play in the search for workable solutions to the seemingly intractable challenges of insecurity.
” If you know the causes of the problem, you will be able to fashion effective immediate, short term and long term strategies towards addressing it. Our actions have been ad-hoc and reactive. They do not flow from research. Our compass is faulty. We must get the correct compass.
“To make progress in the area of security, we must ask the critical questions and fashion the appropriate strategies. How can we reset our security architecture in such a way that the proactive instead of reactive approach will be adopted in tackling insecurity in Nigeria.
“This is where Strategic Thinking comes in. Security Leaders and Forces are more adept at Tactical Thinking. They want to deal with situations quickly and decisively. But the nature of our current and emerging security challenges requires deeper thinking and planning. You must study the nature of a given environment; the topography, the people, culture, politics and changing dynamics.
“You must consult widely to know the best approach to tackling conflicts. You must engage in Scenario Building. This will enable you to systematically spell out the key steps to take, as well as counter measures that would equally be taken in case your actions are made ineffectual.
“There is therefore, the need to balance tactical thinking with strategic thinking. The right balance can make our security agencies to be more effective in the fight against terrorists, insurgents, separatists, kidnappers and other criminal elements,” Uba Sani suggested.
Speaking further, he said that to overcome insecurity in Nigeria, there is need for effective intelligence gathering and surveillance so that law enforcement agents can be proactive and reasonably predict potential crime with near perfect accuracy rather than being reactive.
“We must modernise the security agencies with training, intelligence sharing, advanced technology, logistics, motivation and change of orientation by security personnel.
“We must carry out a complete overhaul of our security architecture. Our security institutions must be reformed to align with global best practices. The present set up is ineffective. Except security operations are decentralized, criminal elements will continue to constitute a threat in our communities. This is why we have been agitating for STATE POLICE. Nigeria is a Federation.
“A state governor should be in effective control of security in his state. A situation where a Divisional Police Officer will wait for clearance from his superiors before carrying out the instructions of the Governor is unacceptable.
“There is need for effective coordination and cooperation among and across security agencies. Lack of synergy for a long time weakened our efforts and strengthened criminal elements in Nigeria.
“For example, when a military operation is being carried out in one state, blocking forces are hardly stationed in neighbouring states. When the heat is too much, the criminal elements take refuge in neighbouring states and end up taking out their frustrations on innocent civilians.
“There is also need for the six geopolitical zones to develop Common Strategies and Operational Plans to tackle insecurity. The zones must establish Command and Control Centres to coordinate joint efforts against terrorists, bandits, kidnappers and other criminal elements in their regions.
“We must fight corruption and initiate a comprehensive campaign for ethical reorientation in Nigeria. Corruption has undermined development in Nigeria, leading to frustration and anger among the people.
“Corruption is a violation of the people’s right to development. We must fight this cankerworm or we lose the support and confidence of our people. There is also unfortunately a shift in the value system in Nigeria. Many of our people now celebrate ill-gotten wealth. This has led to a culture of desperation and winning at all costs. We must work collectively to reorientate our people and channel their energies towards decent work and development.
“We must develop a framework for psychological operations and strategic communication to win the hearts and minds of citizens in Nigeria. An effective non -kinetic approach must be developed and fully implemented to win the support of our citizens and get them fully involved in the fight against terrorism, insurgency, banditry, kidnapping and other forms of criminality in Nigeria.
“We must, in our respective states, not only hold regular meetings with elders, religious leaders, representatives of youth and women groups, but establish STATE CONSULTATIVE COMMITTEES ON INSECURITY. They will play a key role in gathering intelligence, mobilizing the citizens on security and development issues, as well as nipping potential crisis in the bud.
“To address the challenges of poverty and insecurity, we must forge partnerships among and across states in the areas of infrastructure development, agriculture and poverty alleviation.
“If we pull resources together, we can build critical infrastructure, boost agriculture, enhance energy security, thereby revitalizing our local economies. These measures will generate jobs and keep our youths busy.
“Addressing the issue of leadership is also crucial to tackling insecurity in our communities, states and the nation as a whole. As political leaders, we must lead by example. We must provide strong leadership.
“Those of us in government must take deliberate steps to ensure good and accountable governance that focuses on the needs of the people. We must see the current situation as an emergency. With concerted and sustained efforts, we shall overcome.
“The religious leaders gathered here are very influential. Your positions are well regarded in policy circles. We look forward to your actionable recommendations.
“Let me conclude with a message of hope. No matter how bleak our situation may seem, we have a duty to consistently radiate hope. As leaders and shapers of thought, let us propagate hope with intentionality, and nurture it through our uniqueness and positive narratives, until that hope is in full effect in our states, and across our nation.
“It is now my honour and privilege to declare open the 6th Annual Interfaith Dialogue Forum for Peace Conference. God bless you all,” he said.
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