Killing Insecurity Through Unity

When, on March 31, 1953, 29-year-old Anthony Enahoro presented a motion in the Federal House of Representatives in Lagos, and called on Britain to grant Nigeria self-government by 1956, the motion was rejected by the Northern People’s Congress (NPC), headed by Sir Ahmadu Bello, who tabled a counter-motion that changed 1956 to “as soon as practicable”. In the heat of the debate, Northern delegates staged a parliamentary walkout, insisting that their region was trailing in both human capital and administrative readiness. The outcome of this disagreement led to the collapse of the Macpherson Constitution, prompting the 1953 London Constitutional Conference, which eventually paved the way for regional autonomy and gave birth to the 1954 Lyttelton Federal Constitution.

Focus In Unity

The rejection of independence in 1956 by Northern Representatives in 1953 reflected the power of unity. After the collapse of the First Republic and the crises that followed, the North continued to serve as a consensus-builder for national integration and the pursuit of the region’s common good. Of course, though the region was not without internal issues of mutual distrust, the regional leaders, such as Ahmadu Bello, worked diligently to foster unity. The worst thing to ever happen, which has continued to threaten our nation’s cohesion and unity, was allowing insecurity to fester for nearly 20 years without stamping it out. The failure of both past and present leaders has continued to constitute a recurring nightmare for the nation.

Without a doubt, the present insecurity can be traced to the North, and with the incapacity of the leadership to rein in the activities of the insurgents that raged, the proliferation of arms, and the collaboration with rogue elements in the security forces, the prospects of dealing with these criminal and bloodthirsty terrorists are now diminished. Worse still is what many describe as the commercialisation and politicisation of insecurity for survival. The craving for materialism has strangled Nigerians’ hope for a new orientation that emphasises sincerity and honest means of living. We have seen and heard how members of the ruling elite, who have spent nearly three decades in the corridors of power, are still enmeshed in the battle to get more money.

The eight-year tenure of General Muhammadu Buhari exposed the underbelly of this complex, hair-raising national crisis. In the face of unceasing attacks on peace-loving communities and turning the nation into a flowing stream of bloodshed, Nigeria occupied the front row of one of the world’s most terrorised nations. What is plaguing the North is now spreading to the South.  With recurring incidents of kidnappings and abductions, among other criminal activities, the recent murder of the former spokesman of the military, Major General Rabe Abubakar (retd), reflects the deep rot gnawing at Nigeria’s unity and safety. Without disputation, the country, especially the North, is clambering through one of its worst nightmares that has robbed it of its peace. From Maiduguri to Kwara, from Taraba to Sokoto, including Oyo and Edo, among others, the storm of insecurity is shredding prospects of safety. In place of its time’s honoured virtues that respect the dignity of man, ubiquitous non-state actors of desperados unleash death in horrifying numbers. When a nation allows its citizens to pursue wealth as a primary focus, the hope of building the nation turns into a rat race. Arising from leaders’ greed to provide the luxuries they crave, the ancient landmarks of learned virtues are neglected, frittered away through the broken cisterns of human ravenousness.

Tackling Crimes

In the quest for a new dawn, the demagoguery of ineffectual leadership at all levels leaves a yawning gap in our ability to make sense of our present challenge. The clock tolls for our country.  Entrapped in its self-inflicted silence against criminals who unleash violence of overwhelming magnitude, the voices of our politicians have been swallowed up in the search for political survival. With communities fleeing their homes to seek refuge in caves and provide alimony for the comforts of criminals, the hope of reclaiming what is left of our humanity is diminished. Our present woes may turn out to be a prologue to a blistering future; the thick fog of darkness and the frightening uncertainty we now face are clear pointers that the road ahead is fraught with difficulties.

Nigerian communities must be unchained to collaborate with security agencies to obliterate those who seek to annihilate us. Refusing to include besieged communities in the fight to ensure our protection, especially when there are not enough boots on the ground, defeats the dream of stopping these grim murders. Nearly two decades of killings and decimation of communities, the old security strategies need to be pulled down. The National Assembly must lead the way in demanding collaborative security strategies to end this national siege. If insecurity is to be defeated in Nigeria, only through the unity of purpose can we avert the imminent apocalyptic future staring us in the face.

Nigerians must never cave in to the flood of insecurity ripping across the country. What is lacking in the present measures to stop these criminal and terror agents is the refusal to democratise security. It’s not enough to recruit forest guards to address the problem; people must be at the centre of strategies to safeguard them and their property. The government must synchronise policies to effectively contain terrorists and other criminals threatening the corporate existence of our country.

If politicians from the North could move against independence in 1953, our ruling elite, if they are committed, can insist on ending insecurity if they believe in Nigeria. Having served as the weakest link in deepening and sustaining democracy, this writer hopes the legislature will wake up before it’s too late.