Insecurity: Nigeria’s security architecture not fit for purpose ― Opadokun

With the country grappling with unabating security challenges, former Secretary-General of the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO), Mr Ayo Opadokun has urged the federal government to accept that its current security architecture is not fit for purpose.

According to Opadokun, the continued use of the Nigerian Army to fight an asymmetric war is incorrect and misguided, noting that the Army is better equipped for conventional warfare.

In what he described as a recurring decimal, he maintained that the Nigerian military has adopted a recurrent reactionary posturing to acts of criminality and terrorism.

Contained in his lecture at the maiden conference of the Alliance of Yoruba Democratic Movement, Opadokun said it was high time the Nigerian government accepted a gross failure of the national security apparatus.

He held that Nigerians deserved a credible, positive and decisive action from the federal government for many who intolerable level of insecurity, especially the daily loss of lives to bandits, terrorists, kidnappers.

He said the failed security architecture is epitomized by the fact that terrorists continue launch various attacks on Kaduna which hosts various training institutions of the Armed Forces.

Opadokun said: “What are Nigerians expected to do in circumstances like this when the Nigerian State usually pretends that it is doing something about it and that government is on top of the situation when government action usually exposes its underbelly of inaction, except, perhaps deceptive excuses.

“The usual Security Meetings with the President have been held resulting in its recurrent reactionary posturing. This is a clear Stage Act from the Nigerian Playbook. And it is unfortunate with its dire implications for Nigeria and Nigerians.

“That it is happening in Kaduna or the northern part of the country should be concerning to the rest of the country.

“It was reported by the media that a group of hoodlums has also attacked the Dangote Refinery, but were quickly repelled.

“All Nigerians should wake up from their slumber. We must compel the Nigerian State that its current security Architecture is not fit for purpose. Insisting on using the Nigerian Army to fight asymmetric war has proven to be professionally incorrect, and misguided when the Army is better equipped for conventional warfare and its derivatives.

“The Nigerian state has by its conduct whether it admits it or not seems to have finally admitted that non-state actors are being cultivated in disguise for reasons best known to the government.

“Nigerians deserve to be responsibly informed and or briefed as to why Nigerians are being daily slaughtered by foreigners and their Nigerian collaborators without credible, positive and decisive action from the Nigerian State.”

To address what he described as a terribly lopsided structure with its unworkable system, Opadokun called for the quickest return to federalism.

Opadokun held that federalism, as practiced in the first republic, will not only make the government responsible and responsive to Nigerians’ yearnings, but also guarantee justice, equity, fairness, as well as the protection, defence and consolidation of the rule of law.

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He held that the present presidential system was the reason for political instability, national mutual mistrust and disunity.

A return to federal constitutional governance, Opadokun said, will significantly quell agitations of marginalization and provide the environment for the nation to fully actualize its potential.

Opadokun said: “Something is really wrong with an oil-exporting country like ours, which earns huge petroleum dollars, and is yet described as the world’s poverty capital. Only the dubious beneficiaries of this terribly lopsided structure with its unworkable system will argue against the quickest return to Federalism. True Federalism would not solve all the problems at a go, but with time, we would cross the remaining hurdles.

“I need not remind you that Federalism, as was practised in the First Republic, assisted the various governments not only to be responsible and responsive to the electorates’ yearnings and aspirations; but it guaranteed justice, equity and fair play, as well as the protection, defence and consolidation of the rule of law as the basis of government policies.

“The foisting of the Executive Presidential System by Generals Murtala/Obasanjo by deception in furtherance of the centralist government is the very reason for the state of political instability, national mutual mistrust and disunity. This must be corrected for Nigeria to turn around towards becoming a nation. To date, Nigeria has become an abysmal failure because it has failed to respond to her manifest destiny, which is to provide leadership for the Black Race as the country with the highest population of Black people globally.

“Return to Federal Constitution Governance is the popular demand of the greatest majority –that is four out of the six zones of Nigeria. If democracy means anything, it is that government must obey the popular will and demands of the majority of the population. Otherwise, it becomes an autocracy –as the current state of the nation tends to suggest and confirm.

“Federalism enabled our founding fathers to achieve spectacular successes and remarkably impactful legacies in the First Republic. Such legacies all the military dictatorships have not been able to match. Their unwarranted interventions, for selfish interests and greediness, have arrested and stunted Nigeria’s promising growth and development.

“Federalism will also respond significantly and positively to the various agitations of marginalisation, in the form of the demands from the Ohanaeze Ndigbo, PANDEF, Middle-Belt Forum, ACF, NEF, Afenifere, and their activist wings like MASSOB, IPOB, Egbesu, Avengers, OPC, etc.

“The most germane item is the Yoruba Nation’s categorical demand for a return to Federal Constitutional Governance. We have always stated with clarity that Nigeria secured its Independence on a Federal Constitution Governance that was negotiated by the different ethnic nationalities and their political leaders. There was no time where Nigerians consented to, nor agreed with, the Unitary and Central Government that was imposed on us by military governments by decrees since January 15, 1966.

“And Nigeria has since then been governed unitarily and centrally till date, in spite of popular, credible and sustained categorical demands for a return to the negotiated Federal Constitution that recognises the fact and reality that the geographic and political space created by the imperialist Great Britain composed of heterogeneous people with over 350 ethnic nationalities with their different languages, religions, cultures, customs, traditions, artefacts, folklores, mores, morals, etc.”