PENGASSAN boss, Festus Osifo, said the number of police officers employed to face bandits is insignificant to make any impact
By Eberechi Obinagwam,
As the issue of insecurity deepens, the Petroleum and Natural GAS Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has urged the federal government to try something different in addressing the issue.
PENGASSAN President, Comrade Festus Osifo in a media parley with Labour Writers on Tuesday, suggested the decentralisation of the Nigeria Police Force.
According to the PENGASSAN boss, the number of police officers employed to face bandits is not enough. “It is extremely ineffective. More hands should be employed to improve the security in the country,” he said.
Regarding the Abuja -Kaduna train attack that claimed the lives of two TUC members on the 28th of March, he expressed sadness that up to date, the government has not been able to provide to the public the numbers of people that were kidnapped.
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”As a country, we must rise. We should try something different in addressing the issue of insecurity. We should face the security sector for now and leave other sectors so that we can attract both local and international investors and if this issue of insecurity is not properly addressed, it will affect the upcoming election,” he said.
On the recent fire incident caused by illegal bunkering activities at a border between Oquzi in Ogba/Egbema /Ndoni Local Government Area of Rivers State and Abeji in Ohaji Egbema Local Government Area of Imo State, he faults the government for it saying, ”it is a failure of governance. When you put police/ security agencies to protect the area and they start stealing from there, start living big from the oil money. When you report them nothing will be done to them so they will continue. But if they are dealt with, if you bring in new people, they will be mindful.
“Government should be able to use people as scapegoats and not swap them. They should hold their command accountable for any misconduct. It is the failure of the government because if they want to stop it, they have the means and the power to do that,” Usifo said.
Also, he disclosed that their union in their respective branches are serving as whistleblowers to the security agencies, ”But our appeal to the government is that there should be consequences,” he said.
