The Federal Government has been charged to adopt a strategic multi-sectoral approach in addressing Nigeria’s security challenges and good governance.
Critical areas of focus include food sufficiency for the growing population, quality education in public institutions, youth inclusiveness in national building, enduring infrastructure, non-political interference on issues of federal character representation in appointments, women involvement in politics and righting the wrongs in the political history of Nigeria, among others.
Akwa Ibom State commissioner for information and strategy, Ini Ememobong gave the recipe in Uyo while receiving participants of the Executive Intelligence Management course (EIMC) 14, Syndicate 2, from the National Institute of Security Studies, Abuja, on a courtesy call, as part of their study tour of the state.
Noting that security revolves around the people, Ememobong said Nigerians at all levels, especially the poor in the rural commodities must be provided with sufficient food and essential amenities to give them a feeling of care, love and security from the government without which they tend to be antagonistic towards government and the rich among them.
“Government should be able to provide qualitative education with modification in curriculum to capture the current trends and ICT needs in public institutions across the nation where the majority of our youths study, in order to give them hope and trust in the government”, he said.
“Youths must be given sufficient reasons to trust the government and must be carried along in all national development processes. When youths who form over 60 percent of the population are left without hope, due to unemployment and poor services, then security challenges will set in”, the commissioner said added.
In addition, the Federal Government, he argued, should not subject national building and security to political interference but allow federal character to be reflected in appointments, especially in the formation of the national security council.
Recalling that political wrongs done to some sections and regions of Nigeria which elicited the civil war are yet to be corrected or apologies tendered, the official maintained that these were some critical challenges to the security of the nation and urged the Federal Government to strategically look into these issues to deliver good governance.
On security in Akwa Ibom, Ememobong said in addition to logistic supports to security agencies, Governor Udom Emmanuel also constituted the boundary youth committees, giving opportunity for communities to interface with security agencies on security issues as well as create an office on security matters, all geared at stemming insecurity, earning Akwa Ibom the position of the most peaceful state in Nigeria.
This model, according to the information commissioner, is also adopted by the ministry of information, where all Federal Government agencies including security apparatus in the state, are brought together under the State Strategic Information Committee to share information on security matters, geared at boosting security and stemming challenges in the sector.
Earlier, the team leader and syndicate supervisor, Emmanuel Esomonu said the group was on tour of the state to broaden their views on the security perspective of the state, as part of the requirements for their 10-month course towards the award of Fellow Security Institute of the Nigeria Institute of Security Studies, if found worthy in learning and in character.
