The Former Minister of Interior, Lt. Gen. Abdulraham Dambazau (rtd) has harped on the need for a collaborative approach to tackle security challenges in Nigeria.
He urged security agencies not to operate in silo rather they should share information and ideas on how to work together in tackling the menace
Dambazau stated this yesterday in Uyo at the “Executive Leadership Course in the History and Future of Nigeria”, organised by the Historical Society of Nigeria and the Peace Building Development Consultants.
The former Military Chief said insecurity in Nigeria has deepened due to lack of political will to tackle it and tasked stakeholders in the nation’s security sector to restrategize to be able to arrive at a workable security blueprint for the country.
In his words, “There are certain steps to take for instance some of the deep rooted issues are socio-economic and I think addressing those issues would go a long way to reduce incidences of criminal violence in the country.
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“I would love us to take a comprehensive approach, where every stakeholder in the nation’s security sector is partnering the other to solve our security challenges, rather than operating in silo. A situation where the physical security and the intelligence security personnel would work as a team.”
Also, the governor, Udom Emmanuel in his remarks challenged Nigeria to emulate the American example in walking through her racial tension to pH t 00 emerge a model of freedom, advancements and growth.
Represented by the Deputy Governor, Mr Moses Ekpo, Emmanuel said Nigeria, though a deeply heterogeneous society, defined by religious and tribal fault lines, can walk through such differences and emerge a truly united nation.
In his words, “I believe Nigeria has a lot to learn from the American example. We are a deeply heterogeneous society, defined by religious and tribal fault lines. Rather than walking through our differences as America did, unfortunately, we have enlarged the fault lines and adopted largely, zero-sum game approach in solving our national problems.
“From our unfortunate fratricidal war of 1967-70, to the current insecurity in the land, the deepening of the chords of ethnicity and religious differences, to flagrant inequality that exists in our nation, I think, we as leaders have a lot more work to do, in closing the gap or chasm of division.
“Nigeria will fulfil her potentials, this, we are collectively in agreement”, he said.
Speaking on expectations from the four day executive course, the President, Historical Society of Nigeria, Prof Okpeh Okpeh -jnr said the exercise seeks to:establish the crosscurrents of Nigerian History, African History and World History; deconstruct the trajectory of Nigeria’s Pre-Colonial, Colonial and Post-Colonial History; examine the changes in, and challenges to, Nigeria’s political unity.
The executive course according to Prof Okpeh also seeks to interrogate the causes, courses and consequences of separatist agitation in Nigeria; and assess military interruption in Nigeria’s democratic travail.
“Some of the expected outcomes of the course for participants would include: deepen official knowledge of Nigeria’s history; identify key policy issues with informed capacity to respond to them; demonstrate capacity to study the past and make informed and relevant conclusions for the future.
“We also hope to isolate persisting problems challenging Nigeria’s corporate existence; make strategic decisions in their various areas of responsibilities both at the personal and corporate levels; and exhibit competent personal and corporate leadership abilities in the discharge of their duties toward Nigeria”, he said.
He assured that the executive course would not be another talkshow as he was ready to partner other non governmental organizations and civil rights movement to ensure that policy issues raised at the end of the exercise are pushed to the appropriate quarters for desired attention and action.
