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TMC prescribes solution to security threat in Nigeria

By Shakirah Adunola
12 April 2019   |   3:07 am
Perturbed by the rising wave of insecurity in the country, the Muslim Congress (TMC) has urged the three levels of government to focus on insecurity in their various economic blueprints for the new political dispensation. Amir of TMC, Luqman AbdurRaheem, in a statement made available to The Guardian, said the group feels that, “The country…

Vice Chancellor, University of Lagos, Prof. Oluwatoyin Ogundipe (4th left);Chief Imam, University of Lagos Muslim Community (UMC), Dr. Ismail Akin Musa (4th right); Chairman, UMC, Prof. Lai Olurode (2nd left); and others at the 50th Convocation Jumu’ah Service and Prayers for UNILAG and Graduands held at the University Central Mosque, Akoka, Yaba, Lagos

Perturbed by the rising wave of insecurity in the country, the Muslim Congress (TMC) has urged the three levels of government to focus on insecurity in their various economic blueprints for the new political dispensation.

Amir of TMC, Luqman AbdurRaheem, in a statement made available to The Guardian, said the group feels that, “The country has just concluded the general elections with tales of woes and injuries. The Nigerian people have very tall expectations from the three levels of government (Federal, State and Local Governments).

“In view of the fact that insecurity in all its forms is undesirable, The congress recommend the need for the country to urgently embrace ICT-enhanced policing in all parts of Nigeria.

This prescription becomes imperative because insecurity, robbery, kidnapping, terrorism and insurgency have taken a new dimension and have gone sophisticated as criminal elements have deployed high-tech approach such as mobile technology, internet technology for exploiting and unleashing criminal activities on the society” he stated.

To reduce this incessant and unpleasant proliferation of modern crime, AbdurRaheem called for the fortification of existing policing approach in Nigeria using information communication technologies.

“We also recommend that the National Security Agency, which comprises the National Intelligence Agency, State Security Service, Nigeria Police Force (NPF), Nigeria Immigration Service, Nigeria Customs Service, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) should be sincere and redouble their effort to keep the country safe.

The constitution empowered these agencies to provide security for lives and property of Nigerians irrespective of location and ethnic divides. They are well funded and supported, what then is the problem?

“To whom much is given, much is expected. The rising incidence of insecurity in Nigeria is at variance with the huge budgetary allocation for Defence annually. The various service chiefs who cannot meet the minimum security benchmarks should be removed and replaced by those with the gut to make a difference”.

AbdurRaheem also stressed the need to tackle poverty frontally by the three levels of government.

“An idle hand is the devils’ workshop. Poverty forces people without self-restraint into criminal activities in a bid to make a living, and the same poverty triggers communal conflicts over scarce resources among frustrated communities in Nigeria.

The rising poverty level in the land has been exploited too long by religious bigots and conflict merchants who recruit unemployed youth and poverty-stricken adults as human resources for Boko Haram, Herdsmen militia, armed robbers and other terror gangs” he stated.

The Amir added that social security programmes should be scaled up to cover all neglected communities, while vocational educational education and entrepreneurship development programmes at both formal and informal levels should be intensified.

He urged the religious community, particularly the Muslim and Christian clerics to be alive to their responsibilities by using the pulpits constructively to play a vital role in building peace and security through preaching, sermonizing and soul-cleansing.

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