Attacks on Zulum, reflection of nation’s security ineptitude

In less than one month the governor of Borno State and his convoy have been attacked by the Boko Haram insurgents thrice. He has escaped death by the whiskers but not without losing some of his security aides which numbers are disputably estimated at nearly 30 casualties.

The bold attack on a governor with all the security details on three occasions speaks volume on the efficiency and effectiveness of our security architecture.

First, it demonstrates the desperateness of the insurgents to take down the governor and embarrass the government. It did not just expose the level of ineffectiveness of the security system, it also exposed the level of insecurity that confronts the ordinary man in the streets. Protection of the lives and properties of people remains one of the basic needs which any government is expected to deliver to its people.

The government of President Muhammadu Buhari is not any different and interestingly he has continued to assure that he will continually work to achieve this. How well he has managed to discharge this onerous responsibility remains any body’s guess. It is no longer news that insecurity is one of the ills that have pervaded the country and which is growing in leaps and bounds as the day breaks out.

It is on record too that humongous amounts have been expended in the acquisition of arms and other logistics to fend off insecurity but the military does not appear to be winning the war completely. The persistence of the Boko Haram insurgents in spite of the efforts so far have continued to cast doubts on the expertise of our military personnel who are usually credited with high level performance whenever they go on rescue mission outside the shores of Nigeria. It is difficult to explain why they are yet to win the war within.

Many have pointed accusing fingers on the government on how they have managed and are still managing the security situation in the country. Government’s defences and efforts in spite of all these do not appear satisfactory in any manner given the rising spate of insecurity in the land. It needs no recounting, the colossal loses that results from the unquantifiable loss of human lives including properties.

It must be appreciated that no human is capable of creating lives and loss of lives includes the values which the lost elements are bound to contribute in adding values to human advancements. The attendant economic consequences are humongous. Boko Haram war has set this country very much behind however; it is viewed because resources that should be used to move the country forward is expended in rebuilding the state.

This underscores the need for the government to review its strategy in managing our national security. There is nowhere that is safe in the country anymore including the South East usually touted as the safest part of the country following UNDP reports. The security challenges have assumed escalating dimensions in variegated forms which an effective security system ought to have nipped in the bud.

News Echo frowns strongly at the inability of the security apparatus to rise to the challenge in stemming further attack after the first hit on the governor. It is a reflection of the porous nature of our security system given that the governor was attacked twice along the same route in less than 48 hours in the last two attacks. It is clear that no lessons were drawn from the first experience.

We call on the authorities to step up measures lest the desperadoes make such attempts on the president.

The accusation of government complicity in creating the security challenges mounts in the face of government refusal to restructure the security architecture which is skewed to one ethnic group. This negates the federal character principle as enshrined in our statute books. The injection of fresh hands with national spread many believe would have thrown up fresh strategies to tackle this seemingly intractable problem. There has been consistent cry and calls for this President Buhari should come clean of this charge and help to restore the confidence of the people in his government.

Besides, tackling headlong the security issues the government should focus on the issues that have actually generated the problem. Something usually must give rise to another thing. The increasing level of unemployment and general poverty is sufficient to aggravate mass revolt against the leadership. Reversing these trends would support immensely in dealing a death blow to the matter. There is no better time to do so than now.