Nigerians are experiencing precarious times with the unending killings by Boko Haram insurgents, criminal cattle herders, bandits, and violent separationists.
The situation gets more disturbing when state governors and lawmakers accuse President Muhammadu Buhari of not living up to his responsibility of protecting the citizens.
Pointing the finger while citizens are at the risk of losing their lives or loved ones in unwarranted circumstances is a big minus for the political leaders whose election was on the promise to protect the lives and property as well as ensure the people’s wellbeing.
Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, was unsparing of President Buhari last week, accusing him of failing in his responsibility to the Benue people after a fresh attack by suspected armed Fulani herders on an Internally Displaced Persons camp in Abagena community in Makurdi Local Government Area, which left seven persons dead and many others injured.
Angry youths had blocked Makurdi-Lafia Road with the bodies of the victims in protest against the attack.
While addressing the angry youths, Governor Ortom lamented that if the Federal Government had taken the issue of militia herders seriously, it would not have escalated.
The governor noted that more than 70 persons had been killed in the Makurdi Local Government alone within two weeks, while various communities across Benue are suffering from the same militia herdsmen.
While Governor Ortom may appear very vocal in pointing out perceived failings of the President in ensuring the safety of the citizens, he is obviously not the only governor complaining.
Members of the National Assembly across the political divide have similarly grumbled about passing motions and resolutions, proferring solutions to the security challenges, which the Executive does not deem worthwhile, let alone implement.Only last Monday, the Governor of Niger State, Abubakar Sani-Bello, similarly lamented the failure of the Federal Government to halt Boko Haram terrorists’ invasion of over 50 communities in his state.
Bello spoke during a visit to an emergency Internally Displaced Persons camp at the IBB Primary School in Minna thus: “I am confirming that there are Boko Haram elements around Kaure in Shiroro Local Government of Niger State. They have taken over the territory. They have hoisted their flag.
“I am confirming to you that Boko Haram terrorists, bandits have taken over some of the wives of people in the communities and attached them to the Boko Haram chiefs.”
While lamenting that the situation in Niger State was critical and terrible, Bello said, “We have been saying this for long and all efforts have been in vain.”
He stressed: “I have been engaging the Federal Government and unfortunately it has gotten to this stage and, if care is not taken, even Abuja is not safe.”
Nothing suggests that the battle to stem insecurity challenges across the country is awkward more than state governors and the Presidency engaging in a confrontation over the safety of lives and property.
Nigerians are tired of killings, abductions, and displacement from homes and deserve more than usual expression of condolences and evident lack of collaboration between the Presidency, governors and lawmakers.
The Presidency in a response to Ortom’s vituperations against the president had rightly noted that “a government voted into office by the people, should treat the people as its masters and not as its servants.” We wish to emphasise that the Federal Government is in the best position to exhibit this commitment.
The impression the ordinary citizens have when the government cannot guarantee their safety is whether voting during elections is worth the effort. For a country already having poor voter turnout during elections, allowing it shrinks further would not help our democracy.
We believe that while the state governors and indeed other state actors have serious roles to play in ending the wave of killings across the country, the president must exhibit more commitment to restore normalcy.
No matter the tons of achievements recorded by President Buhari, they would pale into insignificance if the ongoing security crisis is not quickly resolved and normalcy restored to the country.
We urge the President to declare a security emergency and set up a body to consider the best options to halt the country’s gradual slide into anarchy.
