The Federal Government has been charged to rise up to its responsibilities and provide adequate security to tackle the rising spate of insecurity and killings in the country.
President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Dr. Olasupo Ayokunle, who made the call yesterday at the 12th Founder’s Day Annual Lecture and Award Ceremony of the Bible Society of Nigeria (BSN) in Lagos, said the federal government has the entire commonwealth of the nation in its care, so has a duty to ensure adequate security for the citizenry.
Ayokunle said but for the sustained pressure of the association on government, recent moves to address insecurity would have not been made possible, adding: “The government must rise up to its responsibilities. All our money is with the government, the entire commonwealth of the nation.
“So they have the duty to provide security. I will not keep quiet until I see that this is done.”
The CAN leader said to overcome insurgency, there was need for the words of God to be in the hand of every Nigerian, saying the fact that not everybody have the knowledge of God is the reason the country is battling with insurgency.
He said if youths were equipped with the word of God, it would minister to their hearts.
Speaking on the topic, ‘Curbing communal conflicts and terrorism for sustainable national growth and development,’ Guest Speaker and Chief Executive of Halogen Group, Mr. Wale Olaoye, said despite repeated commitment of successive governments to tackling the country’s perennial development and security challenges, Nigeria appears to be an unsustainable nation.
“Sustainability suggests that, as a nation, we have the ability to exist and coexist, despite conflict and terror. It demands of us to maintain change, a balance environment, in which the exploitation of resources, the direction of investments, the orientation of technological development and institutional change and future potentials to meet our needs and aspirations,” he said.
Olaoye said for the country to curb communal conflicts and ensure sustainable national growth, people must have freedom, noting that to develop the country, as a people, Nigerians must be free of conflict and the citizens must coexist in a nation.
Speaking on policing, he said security should be local, personal and people have the right to organise security to safeguard themselves within the law, stressing the need to reform the Police and cautioning government not to rush into community policing without a strong framework that would allow it to work.
He also advised government to increase the number of policemen/women and look at other organs that can complement them on security, such as private security firms, which boasts of over one million personnel across the country.
At the event, the Society presented awards to Ayokunle; Founder of Centre for Value in Leadership, Prof. Pat Utomi; Chairman of GTBank Plc, Mrs. Osaretin Demuren and General Manager, Avein Offshore Limited, Mr. Joseph Olaleye Duntoye.
Other dignitaries at the event include representatives of the Lagos and Ondo states governors, Rev. Bukola Adeleke and Rev. Abegunde, respectively; Publisher of The Guardian newspaper, Mrs. Maiden Ibru and Chairman, Board of Directors, Friesland Campina WAMCO Nigeria Plc, Mr. Jacob Moyo Ajekigbe.
