Civil Oriented Security System Is Panacea To Insecurity In Nigeria, Says Former Chieftain of NSCDC.

By Frank Oshanugor

As the Federal Government strives to bring an end to the various security challenges that beset Nigeria, a former Commandant of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Dr. Naps Nnamdi Okonkwo has advocated for a civil oriented approach towards solving the security problems.

Speaking exclusively with the AtlanticNewsonline recently in his Lagos office, Okonkwo who now runs Boyson Nigerian Limited; a private security consulting firm explained that there is a lacuna in the social system and it has to do with security.

According to him, “the government should own the security or allow the civil populace to own it, so that we can all be free and secure. As long as this present security system is not handled by the people, we will continue to have security trouble in Nigeria.

“The only way we can come out of it, is if the government can create a civil oriented security system in the management of security problem of Nigeria. People should be allowed to own it so that we can all be safe and secure,” he advised.

Commenting on the 2023 election and the agitation in some quarters for Igbo Presidency, the former Chieftain of NSCDC disabused the minds of the average Igbo person who may have assumed that power would just be handed over to an Igbo presidential candidate on a platter of gold.

In his words, “they have to struggle to get it whether as members of political parties or otherwise. They have to make themselves relevant to the extent that they have the capacity, knowledge and wherewithal to lead, because a country’s leadership is completely different from other entities.

“Whoever is coming up as a presidential aspirant or candidate of political party should have knowledge and understanding of political economy of the people, trade and total administration of the various components that make up the country.

“An ideal aspirant for the country’s leadership should be able to have deep understanding of the people’s culture, the natural resources of the country and how to harness same for the economic development of the country.

“The candidate for presidency should understand the current centrifugal forces trying to destroy the country and have the ability to unite all citizens irrespective of religion, tribe, social class and so on. Nigeria as currently constituted is not united, so the first major task of our next president would be to create an enduring unity.”

To him, with the recent signing of the Electoral Bill (Amendment) into Law by President Muhammadu Buhari, there is hope that if well implemented, Nigeria would say good bye to rigging and other forms of electoral malpractices.

According to Okonkwo, without the Electoral Act in place, it would be difficult to checkmate rigging and other malpractices which had bedeviled previous elections in the country. He has therefore called on the citizenry to ensure that the provisions of the Electoral Act now in place are strictly adhered to, in the 2023 general elections.

With respect to the current troubles of internet scam and Illicit drug deal involving the former Head of Police Intelligence Response Team (IRT), Deputy Commissioner of Police; Abba Kyari, the Boyson boss said “it is just unfortunate that we are hearing this kind of story at this time of high insecurity in the country. I think it is just a slip on the side of security agencies’ responsibilities with respect to their statutory functions.”