Dickson: Killings Greatest Threat to Nigeria’s Existence

Bayelsa State Governor, Hon. Seriake Dickson saturday warned against the rising spate of violence and senseless killings in the North, noting that the sad development portended the greatest threat to Nigeria’s corporate existence since after the 1967 civil war.

The governor equally faulted the nation’s lopsided federal structure, describing over-centralisation and politicisation of law and order in the country as another gravest threats to contemporary governance.

He expressed these views in a statement his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Francis Agbo issued after a lecture the governor delivered at the Institute of Security Studies (ISS), Abuja on Friday.

The lecture was titled Cultural Values, National Security and Challenges of Contemporary Governance: Perspective from Bayelsa State.
Speaking at the lecture, Dickson condemned the recent killings in different parts of the federation, warning that Nigeria would cease “to have a future if President Muhammadu Buhari fails to mobilise the people of Nigeria to build a non-partisan consensus to avert the killings.”

He lamented that some political leaders “are using the security structures of the country to torment innocent citizens for their selfish ends and by so doing, causing national insecurity and instability.”

He noted that the wind of insecurity blowing across the federation, particularly the killings of innocent Nigerians in the North, were fuelled by the imbalance in the country’s security structure and the politicisation of security by members of the ruling party.

Dickson said: “It is very clear that Nigeria’s lopsided federal system and over-centralisation of security powers and the politicisation of security by several agencies are a major clause of instability and poses a threat to National stability.

“I was talking the politics of insecurity and the insecurity of politics occasioned by the abuse of Nigeria’s federal system and the rate at which those who control powers at the federal level undermine law and order in parts of the federation and make it difficult for our citizens to feel safe and to feel protected under the law.

“When you correct this abuse of federal system, the governor of Benue and Taraba States will be in the position to mobilise the security resources of their states to end unnecessary killings. I remember the governor of Zamfara said he did not want to be addressed as the Chief Security Officer of the state.”

Dickson explained that although the military had made appreciable progress in its fight against Book Haram, recent incidents in the country showed that the war against terrorism was far from over.

He, therefore, called on stakeholders irrespective of their political parties “to unite in order to proffer a solution to the lingering insecurity in the country. When a nation comes under attacks, the leaders – military, civil, Christians, Muslims – must come together to address it.”

He said what was going on in Nigeria was more than the historical herdsmen and farmers clashes, lamenting that the country had lost too many innocent souls to the killings.

“Who are the farmers having clashes with herdsmen in Sokoto, Zamfara and other places? We must call a spade a spade for the good of our country. We are dealing with a calculated attack on our country. We are dealing with machinery of violence against innocent Nigerians.

“Yes! We have historical incidence of herdsmen and farmers clash but what is going on is far more than that. All Nigerians and people of good will should show patriotism and let us interrogate this issues properly.”

He said a situation where a security officer diligently doing his work was unceremoniously transferred because someone who had access to power wanted him transferred was not healthy for the nation.

Dickson said: “Nigerians are right to demand for protection. They expect the security agencies to arise to the occasion and put an end to the killings that are moving from one state to the other.

“If the people are under attack, that is reasons the security forces and the President as the Commander-in-Chief-of -Armed-Forces should lead the security agencies to repel this attack. We have lost enough innocent lives. Instead of these killings abating, it continues to be spreading.

“That is why I said what is going on in the Middle Belt, North East, Niger Delta and other regions of the country is clearly the most potent national security and essential threat our country has faced since the civil war.

“Although the present administration has made remarkable achievements in addressing security challenge in the North East, Boko Haram is far from being defeated. So, to address insecurity in Nigeria, there was also need for government to invest more in education.
“The options are clear, it is either you build more schools or you build more prisons and commentaries. Addressing the situation and developing the country, there was need to recognise and respect ethics and cultural differences in the country,” Dickson suggested.

Dickson, however, said in spite of contemporary security challenges, Nigeria “has the potential of becoming country of great capability. In spite of these challenges, we believe a new Nigeria of peace and stability, equal citizens and egalitarian Nigeria is still possible.
“From the north to the south, east to the west, God in His mercy and wisdom has given us everything to be great”, the governor observed.