It’s the responsibility of the Government to provide adequate security over lives and properties for every citizen of Nigeria without regard to ethnicity, religion, background, disability and identity.
Nigerians sleep with their two eyes closed, that was in the Seventies nowadays reverse is the case because of the level of insecurity in the Nation which is perturbing; some people have pondered if there will be a panacea for this ravaging situation in the country that already cost the Nigerian people their hoard which could have been utilized in key sectors of the Economy such as building of schools, hospitals, good roads e.t.c but a pending evil of insecurity connected with high level Corruption in Government had put the nation in an impecunious state.
Security vote is allocated to every state of the federation to cushion the humongous effects of insecurity in the country but it is obvious that these monies are not getting to their expected end as no significant result had been shown for the security funding leaving less to expect from the Government. The military also had complained countless times that they lack funding from the Government and the soldiers on the field cannot combat insecurity challenges due to lack of quality arms and ammunitions. Where did we get it wrong as a nation?
The insecurity problem has affected majority of Nigerians inclusive of me whom on a fateful morning few weeks ago was informed by my housekeeper that five members of her family had been killed by Fulani militia in her village Zango Kataf of Kaduna South in a four hours operation, I couldn’t comprehend the bad news as I wondered if we actually have a functioning Government and its components that knows its responsibility over his people.
It is pertinent to state that Section 14(2) and Subsection (b) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (As amended) states that “It is hereby, accordingly, declared that (b) the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of Government;” The Government has not been responsible towards its primary purpose of securing the lives of the Nigerian people considering the high level of insecurity that is alarming to our Nation Nigeria.
A Larger number of the society takes care of their welfare without any recourse to the Government but the issue of Security is a Legal obligation on the part of the Government. An individual cannot decide to carry arms and ammunitions to protect him or herself; hence resting the sole duty on the Government to carry out is responsibility.
Section 15-(1) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (As amended) states that “The motto of the Federal Republic of Nigeria shall be Unity and Faith, Peace and progress”. This are just highlights of Law which so far hasn’t translate into reality because in a Nation that there is no security there cannot be peace and in a Nation that there is no peace there cannot be progress. One clearly understands part of the reason some investors are not coming to invest in Nigeria and some parts of Nigeria as investment needs to be synchronized with security.
Section 20 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (As amended) states that “The State shall protect and improve the environment and safeguard the water, air and land, forest and wild life of Nigeria” The state had failed the people of Kaduna south by their failure to protect the Farmlands of people in Kaduna south and other parts of the Country which negates the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (As amended).
The autochthony ideology operating in the Country particularly Kaduna South and also some other parts of the Country negates the provision of Section 41(1) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (As amended) which states thus “Every citizen of Nigeria is entitled to move freely throughout Nigeria and to reside in any part thereof, and no citizen of Nigeria shall be expelled from Nigeria or refused entry thereto or exit therefrom”. The combined provisions of this Section gives right to any citizen of Nigeria to reside in any part of the country without any hindrance whatsoever.
It’s the responsibility of the Government to provide adequate security over lives and properties for every citizen of Nigeria without regard to ethnicity, religion, background, disability and identity.
The Government need to wake up to its responsibility inclusive but not limited to giving expedient approval to Community policing, eradicating corruption, exhibiting high level of integrity and posting of officers who do not share in the ideologies of Fulani herdsmen hegemony to hostile areas; only with the implementation of some of this simple but cogent policies can Nigeria overcome are insecurity challenges, we hope Nigerians can one day sleep with their two eyes closed again.