By Harry Awurumibe, Editor Abuja Bureau
Apparently disturbed by the turn of the events in Nigeria especially in the South East, former Minister of Aviation, Osita Chidoka has admonished those perpetuating wanton destruction of lives and properties in the country to stop forthwith.
This is even as he has advised the none state actors including the Indigenous Peoples of Biafran (IPOB) to desist from taking lives and destroying properties belonging to governments and individuals in the name of agitations.
Speaking on African Independent Television (AIT) breakfast programme Kakaaki on the topic: Nigeria At 61: Reviewing the Security Architecture, on Monday, Chidoka frowned at the spate of insecurity in Nigeria and urged the federal and state governments to rise to the challenges.
Said he: “I am one person who abhors bloodshed and I will never subscribe to the spate of banditry, killings, kidnapping and destruction of national and private assets going on across the country; from North to South and East to West. We cannot continue this way.
Chidoka who was also the former Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) boss, however pointed out the lopsided appointments into the security architecture of Nigeria by the present administration as causing disillusionment in the citizens to be on the same page with the government.
According to him: “Security is everyone’s business but when some sections of Nigerian society are excluded from heading any of the country’s security agencies then many including those in the security agencies will not be willing to cooperate with the federal government to fight insecurity”.
“Restoring national unity is key as the current system where all the Heads of the security arms of Nigeria come from one region is undermining our national cohesion, unity and safety. Sadly, the Federal Character Law has been violated and bastardized and it should not be encouraged”.
Chidoka also lamented that the Nigerian Police Force (NPF) has not been able to police the country adequately and therefore called for increase funding of the Police, arguing that Police as presently constituted cannot fight crime to the satisfaction of Nigerians.
“I want to see a federally owned states-managed Police Force to curb the rising waves of insecurity. Simply put, I want the federal government to continue to recruit the Police, using the Federal Character Law while the State Government’s take over the funding”.
The former Minister argued that: “State Governors whom the Nigerian Constitution has already approved huge Security Votes for can afford to budget the sum of N2 billion every month to fund the Police and that amount will compliment what comes from the federal government to support the Police operations”.
