Chairman of Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), Governor Kayode Fayemi on Thursday expressed grave concern over the impacts of security challenges on citizens’ safety, means of livelihood and the exercise of the rights of Nigerians, particularly the right to life, right to movement, and ultimately the country’s socio-economic development.
Governor Fayemi stated this in Abuja at the opening of the two-day Multi Stakeholders Summit of the NGF Peace and Inclusive Security Initiative (PISI) in partnership with the Centre for Democracy & Development (CDD).
While noting that the multi-stakeholders summit was initiated to spark conversations towards finding innovative solutions to the security challenges in Nigeria, the NGF Chairman underscored the need for inputs of Non-State Actors into policy formulation processes in the bid to proffer lasting solutions to the myriad of security challenges ravaging the country.
“Following the launch of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) Peace and Inclusive Security Initiative (PISI) in July 2021, the NGF is making efforts to create fora to share ideas on how every stakeholder can contribute to the work of restoring peace and security to the nation.
“As we already know, the level of insecurity across the country not only jeopardises citizens’ safety and means of livelihood, but also impedes the exercise of the rights of Nigerians, particularly the right to life and the right to movement, and ultimately the country’s socio-economic development.
“How well we respond to the security challenges will be determined by the level of collaboration between state and non-state actors. It is in recognition of this that we have invited the security agencies, civil rights organisations, faith-based, and traditional institutions here represented in this summit.
“This summit is a platform to express your views and make policy recommendations that will transform this effort from a mere gathering of like minds to a movement that will produce competent and informed stakeholders who will then use this knowledge to adequately address the security challenges faced in the different geopolitical zones of this country.
“As Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, I am happy to report that the Forum supports any effort to create a more inclusive and collaborative platform to mobilise an immediate national response to our country’s security challenges.
“As deliberations would be held in different areas or spheres of endeavour including, the roles of Security Agencies, Civil Societies and Traditional Institutions in managing the security challenges across the country, it is my hope that this summit will stimulate strategic and collaborative responses among stakeholders on managing conflict and restoring peace in all parts of Nigeria,” he noted.
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While speaking during the panel discussion, Governor Fayemi who alleged that police has been abused at the federal level, expressed grave concern over the opposition against state policing on the ground that it may be abused by the Subnational Governments.
He maintained that: State governors fund police more than the federal government. We buy them vehicles. We pay them allowances. In some cases, we even buy ammunition, of course under the authority. And if we are to engage our military in aid to civil authority, which you will find, actually in 36 states in this country today, the military is involved in internal security operations, which really is a problem because, for me, its role inflation.
“Now, when you inflate the role of the security institution, beyond its primary responsibility, you also have consequences that will come with that. That may not be palatable. But that’s where we are, because most Nigerians don’t trust the police. They will still come and beg governor, Governor, please, can you ask the brigade commander to put a roadblock in my area.”
Speaking during the panel discussion, Governor Simon Lalong of Plateau State expressed support for the adoption of a multi-prong approach towards solving the security challenges.
Governor Lalong who was represented by his Deputy, Professor Sonni Tyoden, said: “On the issue of multi-level policy, to support multi-level policing is not necessarily the same thing with supporting state police. By simply saying that the job of policing a community should be a liaise.
“The existence of vigilantes is an aspect of multi policing. But we have not been able to get the best out of the situation, because the vigilantes have not been really treated as part of the security structure we operate. And I think that’s what we need to do.
“The existence of these vigilante groups, are manifestations of the disenchantment with the existing security apparatus. And I think if we modelled the vigilantes properly, incorporate them into the security structure, I think we will get something better out of it.
“And related to that, is the fact that at the point, this country adopted community policing, people were recruited people were trained. But at the tail end, I don’t know that my Chairman knows what happened to that.
“And that’s a reflection of one of the problems we’ll be having in the areas of security, the stop-go policy, instead of having operating policies on a sustainable basis, we start something and then relax. And you don’t know what else to it again.
“Community policing is, like I said, different from state police. For instance, in Plateau State, I am aware that over 500 people were recruited across the state, they were trained.
“When they came back, we know to record them, handed them over to the police because the police were supposed to monitor the activities. That was the end. So the concept was good and is still good. But the implementation is problematic. So I think we need to have a second look at that,” he urged.
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