Insecurity: Which Way Out?

By Isaac Asabor 

That the current state of insecurity is unprecedented should not be in doubt. What should actually be in doubt is whether the Nigerian Police Force can tackle the problem. It would be recalled that General Muhammadu Buhari (retd) during a book launch recently urged the Federal Government to empower the police for efficient performance in the fight against insecurity.  In my personal view, the Nigerian Police needs sincere assistance from other segments of the society to tackle the problem of insecurity in the country.

In fact, the dimension which the security situation in the country has assumed, especially in the northern part of the country, is appalling. It is on the basis of this fact that no one should expect the police alone to tackle the problem of insecurity in the country. Put another way, the police need urgent assistance from the federal, state, corporate bodies and the general public.

The war against insecurity may not be won without a critical examination of the status quo. The nation’s resources which the concerned authorities so far have allocated and utilized in the war against insecurity may be regarded as a case of cutting the branches of a diseased tree rather than uprooting its taproot which is the main cause of the disease.

First and foremost, moral and religious studies should be integrated into the curriculum of the training arms of our various security agencies as it is very obvious that problem confronting our securing agencies goes beyond ill-equipment and adequate monthly wages.

In fact, moral and religious studies should be introduced as compulsory General Studies course (GNS) in the various security training institutions. While the Christians would offer Moral and Christian Religious Studies, the Moslems would offer Moral and Islamic Religious Studies while others would offer Moral Studies.

As earlier mentioned, the problem with security personnel in our nation has gone beyond that of ill-equipment and poor wages, but rather it is a problem of morality, virtue and discipline. Samuel Adams, the father of American revolution, said “while people are virtuous they cannot be subdued; but when once they lose their virtue they will be ready to surrender their liberties to the first external and internal invader.” There is no denying the fact that our security agencies have lost their collective virtue, principles and manners. As it ought to, the presence of security men in any locality is bound to inspire a sense of security among the inhabitants but as it is at the moment, their presence instils fear. Succinctly put, the presence of security men in any environment, in most cases becomes the greatest threat to the people whose taxes are used for the  upkeep the security men.

Permit me to opine at this juncture that the morality problem bedevilling our security outfits is age-long. There is no denying the fact that the Bible in Luke chapter 3 verse 14 points out the factors that can hinder an effective and efficient performance of security men when John the Baptist was asked by some soldiers on what they should do to be saved. John replied them thus: “…Do violence to no man, neither accuse any falsely, and be content with your wages.” Regrettably, despite this scriptural injunction, an average security personnel today is still violent. In the course of carrying out his duty,  he still accuses people wrongly and collects bribes from people at gunpoint.

Still in the same nexus, the guards that witnessed the resurrection of Jesus Christ were bribed by the chief priests and elders to keep sealed lips on Jesus Christ’s victory over death. Matthew chapter 28 verse 14 to 15 says, “When the chief priests had met with the elders and devised a plan, they gave the soldiers a large sum of money, telling them, ‘You are to say, His disciples came during the night and stole him away while they were asleep’. If this report gets to the governor, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble. So the soldiers took the money and did as they were instructed. And this story has been widely circulated among the Jews to this very day.”

Apart from the moral issue that is undeniably affecting our security agencies, the Federal Government should look into the problem of unemployment in the country. That unemployment has been posing a serious challenge to many a family unit and the larger society is an undeniable fact. The problem is so critical that many parents or guardians now think twice before purchasing JAMB forms for their children.

The problem of unemployment is  so pervasive that it is contributing to the unprecedented state of insecurity in our nation. If one may now ask, how can unemployment successfully be nipped in the bud when quota system policy is being used whenever parastatals and other government establishments are carrying out recruitment exercises?  One may not be wrong to say that the quota system policy has outlived its usefulness since it is driving many frustrated Nigerians, particularly the youths, into criminal activities.

Again, this writer is of the firm belief that the lack of better opportunities for millions of impressionable youths has turned them into readily available tools which some mischievous politicians and unpatriotic Nigerians are making use of. This view, no doubt, is one of the major causes of the insecurity crisis in the country. Today, many youths who were trained to be performing white collar jobs are today performing blue collar jobs. It is no more a surprise seeing school certificate or Ordinary National Diploma (OND) holders working as bus conductors and hawking snacks in the traffic. Though it is arguable that job-is-job as some readers of this piece would quickly agree, the truth remains that these youths that opted to become hewers of wood in our society despite their qualifications are not in the least fulfilled. Most of them fight back at the society by engaging in crime and other unpatriotic activities. If I may ask, who would be gainfully employed in the private or public sector and would be willing to be a Boko Haram militant?

This ugly phenomenon has no doubt exposed the impressionable teenagers, who are invariably leaders of tomorrow, to dangers that are inherent in mind-polluting environments. With this, some of them ignorantly get associated with “street boys” and in the process become die-hard criminals before they attain adulthood.

Already, some of our children are involved in all kinds of vices, especially that of smoking cannabis sativa otherwise known as marijuana or Indian hemp. Many of our children cannot say “no to drugs” due to the alluring  peer group pressure they usually face.  Another social factor that is contributing greatly to the proliferation of crime and criminals which in turn have come to exacerbate the security situation in the country is the ostentatious manner in which some Nigerians exhibit their wealth. Closely related to this is the value which many Nigerians have placed on material wealth. This, no doubt, has created a rat race in our nation so much that we are now living in a dog-eat-dog society. Making money now is a do-or-die affair.

In my view, the fast eroding sociological landscape is enough to worsen the security situation in the country. Therefore, the National Orientation Agency should put its communication machinery into action in order to begin to change the mindset of Nigerians through the creation of awareness on the need for Nigerians to be altruistic and patriotic in their daily lives.

 •Asabor wrote in from Lagos. E-mail: [email protected]