Mr Douglas Dodiyi-Manuel, a Public Affairs Analyst, says security will be an illusion to a society where the generality of youths are unemployed, unemployable and hungry.
Dodiyi-Manuel told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Port Harcourt on Sunday that it would even be worse when the youth had no orientational focus that was driven towards productivity.
He said that the procurement of boats, vehicles and other hardware for the security establishments, such as Police, Navy etc. by the Rivers Government would not guarantee security in the state.
“I got very pissed with it, not because it is wrong to support the armed forces and the police, but because the programme is a representation of a concluded policy.
“That security in Rivers means buying equipment and vehicles for the Armed Forces and the Police; what an absurdity, the ineptitude of public administration.
“Security can never be dealt with as an isolated phenomenon, it doesn’t work that way because insecurity is caused by social lapses that only policies can fix,” he said.
According to Dodiyi-Manuel, security entails a multi-phenomena integrative protocol, and you cannot talk about it without a working policy on youth development.
“The different phases of youth engagement such as minority and basic education, majority emancipation and career direction, mentorship and economic pursuit, social paradigm and worldview should be the focus.
“When a government doesn’t understand what youth development entails, and has no policy or programme to effectuate contemporary youth development trends, resorting to arming and mobilising the military can’t guarantee security,” he added.
The analyst said that there would be no security without a working policy on economic empowerment and on education, not just projects, but programmes also.
“In recent times, there is a mockery of empowerment with alms giving, and alms giving has become empowerment in political parlance; this is a default state delusion.
Dodiyi-Manuel identified working policies on labour protection, public protection, public prosecution and such that aim to strengthen and entrench the culture of law enforcement and actuates the integrity of the Judiciary.
“When you judge society against the standard herein outlined, you will know and appreciate the state of security in your society.
“So, I put it to governments in the country that acquiring gunboats and cars for security agencies cannot bring about security.
“Being a responsible and responsive citizen places a demand of outrage on all of us, more so when mediocrity is in effect,” he said.
