By Priscilla Campbell,
Minna
The former Military Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar, and other prominent Nigerians have advisedd the Federal Government that the role of the military be limited to defending Nigeria and not policing as part of measure to address the insecurity challenges confronting the nation.
In a Communique released on Tuesday after a two-day roundtable meeting at the Maizube Farms, along Minna-Bida road under the chairmanship of Prof. Ibrahim Gambari, participants noted that every part of Nigeria is bedeviled by one form of extremist violence or the other.
The Communique signed by the Director, Abdulsalami Abubakar Institute for Peace and Sustainable Development Studies (AAIPSDS), Dr. Diamond Preye Nebechukwu, called for the establishment of community policing.
The communique stated, “The issues to be tackled are complex and multifaceted crisis such as the one currently confronting Nigeria”. The crisis necessarily requires carefully thought out solutions predicated on action plan which is to address issues on short, medium and long term basis.
“The role of the military should be limited to defending Nigeria and not doing Police jobs as now witnessed all over the country.
“For attaining this objective, the Police and related paramilitary organizations should be better trained and equipped for applying their traditional roles. Nigeria needs to accelerate the process of recruitment of additional security personnels, especially the Police in which the numbers are inadequate for normal Policing work. This calls for Community Policing.”
It explained that in the present Nigeria, every part is bedeviled by one form of extremist violence or the other and this conflicts are increasingly having corrosive effects on the Nigerian state.
“The causes, nature and sources of insecurity include poverty arising from the economic crisis in the country and bellicose political activities, environmental scarcity in the far north and the rising perception of injustice by ethnic and religious group which are escalated by fake news and hate speeches.”
The participants hinged the reason for conveying the meeting to the escalating tension and insecurity across Nigeria bordering on mutual intergroup suspicion, gangsterism, cultism, armed robbery and kidnapping amongst others which are fuelled by the proliferation of small arms and light weapons (SALWs).
“These have added to the existing threats associated with the Boko Haram crisis in the North East, patent acts of militancy in the Niger Delta, reoccurrent herders-farmers conflict which have assumed alarming dimensions and the resurgence of separatist agitations in some parts of the country.
“There is need for political leadership at all levels to engage citizens including traditional rulers while addressing the root causes of insecurity.
“The Federal and State governments should ensure clear separation of religion and the State as stipulated in the 1999 Constitution, while adhering to the rule of law in addressing issues of religion and security.”
The stakeholders agreed that all actors engaged in crop farming and livestock production should continually be enlightened to migrate from traditional to modern systems of agriculture to boost profits to ameliorate the challenges between farmers and herders clash.
It charged the Federal Government to establish a National Mediation Council while the State Governments should establish Harmony and Mediation centers to foster peaceful coexistence and intergroup harmony.