[EDITORIAL] Endless Insecurity And Hollowness Of Presidential Orders

The meeting of President Muhammadu Buhari with Service Chiefs a few days ago to discuss the escalating state of insecurity in the country and the marching order given to the leadership of the security agencies, came as one in the series of such gatherings that have often ended with Presidential orders steeped in hollowness.

It is on record that each time Buhari held security meeting with the service chiefs, he has always passed the buck to members of the armed forces, police, department of state services and other security agencies to find lasting solution to the festering insecurity.

Statutorily and rightly too, the various security agencies have the responsibility to protect the citizenry and defend the Nigerian state.  Regrettably, however, it has become quite evident that much as the various security agencies are willing to give their best in performing their constitutional obligations, the political leadership currently under the watch of President Muhammadu Buhari has manifestly displayed unwillingness to do what is right for reasons that largely border on ethno- religious tendencies.

The President, has of late come up with the posturing that the insurgency and banditry ravaging the country particularly the Northern part is neither ethnic nor religious driven, yet it is difficult to believe a man who outwardly traded away his position as the Commander-in-Chief for mundane ethnic considerations.

Records can authoritatively reveal how those who were fingered in the earliest bombing incidents and arrested by the Goodluck Jonathan’s administration were released by the Buhari’s administration in a manner that suggested executive protection for enemies of state. What message did such action leave us with?

A good number of outspoken Nigerians with some benefits of intelligence hindsight, have had occasions to publicly disclose certain information that could lead to apprehension and prosecution of the terrorists and bandits in our midst, but our nation’s leaders would prefer to look elsewhere.

Several times, government spokespersons have publicly made it known that some terrorists sponsors have been identified, yet nothing is ever heard again after such public announcement.

The 2023 elections are fast approaching with insecurity looming larger than what it used to be.

In the Northeast, the terrorists and bandits are holding sway.  In the Southeast, Indigenous Peoples of Biafra, (IPOB), are in charge and making life unbearable for the citizenry. It is not certain if the elections would hold because insecurity reigns supreme in every nook and cranny.

We are therefore calling on President Buhari to live up to the demands of his office by ensuring that his marching orders to service chiefs do not remain empty rituals.