Nigeria’s worsening insecurity has been traced to the failure of leaders in the country to protect the citizens and prevent crimes in society.
“The problem of Nigeria is that security is bad and the economy is bad. These are the problems that lead to insecurity in Nigeria.
“Today, we have Boko Haram, IPOB, herdsmen, which birth in the country could be linked to leadership failure in the country’s governance,” Joseph Keshi, former chairman of United Bank of Africa (UBA), made the disclosure in Asaba, last week, while delivering a lecture titled: ‘Safeguarding National Security Through Civic Engagement for National Reputation,’ at the annual conference/AGM of the Delta State chapter of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR).
He noted that the weakness of the Constitution of the federation had led to the weakness of the various institutions, including the military, to the extent that in global rating, Nigeria was being compared to Afghanistan.
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He stressed the need for civic engagement in order to solve the problem of insecurity but added that civil engagement would only work depending on some factors.
He advised governments at all to ensure stability in the country by continuing with projects embarked upon by their predecessors rather than abandoning them.
While pointing out that “the country is where we are today because we refused to do the right things,” Keshi said for civil engagement to make a meaningful impact, every Nigerian has to change his or her attitude to governance bearing in mind that collective action was needed for the development of the society.
President and Chairman of the Governing Council of the NIPR, Sirajo Zubairo, in his contribution, noted the need for the reorientation of the people as there had been decay and breakdown of the value system right from the families.
In his speech, the Delta State governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, represented by the state information commissioner, Charles Aniagwu, disclosed how the administration had provided meaningful leadership for the people of the state, which he said was all about civic engagement.
Earlier in his welcome address, the Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Patrick Ukah, had said the event which was significant in the annals of NIPR, served as a rallying point for public relations and other stakeholders in the Nigerian project to dialogue and proffer solutions on critical issues of the time for sustainable national growth.
