Nigeria needs swift, proactive security system to checkmate conflicts, says Bishop Onuoha

[From BONIFACE OKORO, Umuahia]

President and Founder of Vision Africa, a non-governmental organization, Bishop Sunday Ndukwo Onuoha, says the country’s leaders need to put in place a proactive security system that will respond or checkmate conflicts before they escalate.

Making the submission in his keynote address presented at the just-concluded one-day national security sensitization campaign in Umuahia, the Abia State capital, Bishop Onuoha said an effective security management system has become imperative in the face of rising insecurity in almost all parts of the country.

“An effective/efficient security management system, that can take precautionary measures against spontaneous attacks of terrorists and take immediate actions to quench conflicts and riots before they escalate to violence is needed urgently,” Bishop Onuoha posited.

The National Orientation Agency (NOA), in collaboration with Abia State Ministry of Information, organized the one-day national security sensitization campaign against political thuggery, kidnapping drug addiction, radicalization and violent extremism held at Dr Michael Okpara Audtiorium, Umuahia last Wednesday.

The Keynote Speaker noted that the above vices constitute the greatest threats to peace, unity, security and development of Nigeria.

Bishop Onuoha who spoke on the theme: “Building a People of Peace,” said that Nigeria was sitting on a tinder box occasioned by years of bad governance, entrenched corruption, nepotism, favoritism and injustice.

Broaching on contemporary issues, the Bishop also spoke on the harmonised Amended Electoral Act Bill, which has now been signed into law by President Muhamadu Buhari, said the loopholes in the law has been fixed, adding that the assent will reduce tension and insecurity associated with elections in Nigeria.

He submitted that Nigeria of today is one of the hotbeds of conflict in Africa, but pointed that if Nigeria was to build a people of peace, “only a multifaceted approach from all,” would help stem the tide of conflicts in the country.

Emphasising on collective efforts to fix Nigeria and end conflicts in the country, the cleric said:  “… to fully reap the benefit of a civil society and good governance in Nigeria requires the full participation of every section of the Nigerian state – the government, the civil society, citizens – you and me, young and old, especially youths and women to be awake to their responsibilities and ensure that Nigeria becomes and remains a safe, strong and prosperous place to inhabit.

“It is only our collective, active inclusiveness as a people that can right the long-held injustices, combat violence and peace building, and create an environment for dialogue.

“Peace building and conflict resolution or conflict prevention should be a high and central priority in a country like Nigeria because these terms and principles are enablers of development, security, social and economic justice, and reconciliation.

“Peace promotes the optimum environment for human potential to flourish, and for a community to progress; because peace thrives only in tranquility and national security is linked with development.”

He noted that when there are conflicts, “humans will always adopt methods of getting themselves out of socio-political marginalization, abysmal state of infrastructural facilities, environmental degradation, and high level of religious intolerance,” and advised the that youths should be positively engaged.

“Give the youths jobs, provide a supportive environment for Micro, Small and Medium-scale Enterprises (MSMEs); and insecurities will be drastically reduced,” he suggested. 

“Socialization to values of peace and provision of services that can close up the worsening horizontal inequalities that we all see and feel will douse tension,” he added.

Presenting her address, the Abia State Director of NOA, Dr. Ngozi Okechukwu, said the forum was designed to continue discussion on the degrading and deteriorating war with terrorists, bandits, kidnappers, insurgency, political lawlessness, election violence, drug addiction police brutality, radicalization and other forms of violent extremism that undermine the peace of the society.

“Building a People of Peace could not have come at a better time (than now) when the Federal Republic of Nigeria is currently grappling with many challenges rapidly stagnating its national development.

“From North to the South, East to the West, we are faced with varying shades of endemic insecurity and economic hardship rooted in pervasive erosion of moral values to the extent that the people of this nation are living in constant fear, anxiety and stress.

“It is against this mandate of NOA as a social engineering organization that we are saddled with the responsibility of supporting the Nigerian government to fulfill the enormous constitutional mandate of providing security for its citizens to sustain leadership legitimacy,” she said.

The campaign, she further explained, was to galvanize stakeholders to establish an enduring social order. 

Abia, according to the Secretary to the State Government, Barr. Chris Ezem, would partner NOA in the security sensitisation campaign.

Ezem who represented the Governor, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu, said the state government was doing a lot to enhance security in the state.

He therefore advised Abians to continue to be security conscious in their various localities, even as he urged youths to shun cultism, drug abuse and other vices that exacerbate insecurity and later unveiled the NOA Magazine, The Mobiliser.

The event was attended by several security agencies, traditional rulers from Abia and Imo states, politicians and top government functionaries, among others.