*Panel emphasizes official welfare for motivation
*leadership of Nigeria should be thoroughly overhauled to ensure proactive steps towards crime detection and prevention
By Okhide Em’ya David
Former Nigeria’s Inspector General of Police, Dr. Solomon Arase has strongly advocated that the nature of emerging security challenges facing the country are multi-dimensional and would require the skills and competencies which no single security agency may possess.
Dr. Solomon Arase gave the recommendation during the week, in a keynote address at a round table discussion on enhancing national security through inter-agency cooperation at the Igbinedion University Okada, Edo State of Nigeria.
He said emphasis should also be on Training and Re-Training of the Rank and File of the Nation’s Security Outfits and Para Security Organizations to ensure that they perform according to world’s best Practices.
He said the theme of the round table discussion, hosted by the General Buratai Centre for contemporary security affairs of the University was apt due to sophistication, exhibited by Bandits, terrorists, armed robbers, fraudsters especially those of the Internet, public officers, bankers, even Petty thieves in the streets.
Arase asked that the recommendation contained in the Communique from the round table discussion must not be swept under the carpet but implemented to the letter by those in Authority.
A former General Officer Commanding (GOC) 8 Division Force Command, Multinational Joint Taskforce, retired Major General Jide Ogunlade; former Director, Department of State Security, Mr. Mike Ejiofor and the former Chief of Defence staff in Sierra Leone, retired Major General AC. Nelson Williams participated through zoom.
They said that above all strategies to rejig the Nigerian Armed Forces and other Paramilitary Organizations, is the issue of welfare which is the basic and the most effective fundamental antidote to Motivation, insisting that it is highly required to solve the complicated security challenges as presently witnessed by Nigerians.
The Commandant, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Edo State Command, DS Okon; the Comptroller of Nigeria Immigration Service, Edo State Office, MM Fagge and the Deputy Comptroller of Nigeria Customs Service, Edo and Delta Commands, also joined the discussion via zoom.
In their contributions, they said the issue of corruption, especially as regards arms procurement and ethnicity or nepotism in consideration of promotion and recruitment into the nation security organizations, should be totally discountenanced to promote oneness and productive patriotism amongst the rank and file of the Armed Forces and Paramilitary Organizations.
The vice Chancellor of Igbinedion University Okada, Professor Ikechukwu Ezemonye, while declaring the event open said, Nigeria has over the years experienced a breach in security that could have been nipped in the bud if there was robust synergy among relevant security agencies and unbiased inter-Governmental relationship.
Ezemonye said the objective of the roundtable was to create a forum for seasoned security practitioners across diverse agencies to chart the way forward for in dealing with the security challenges bedeviling the country.
The event therefore shifted to a panel session, moderated by the Director, Buratai Centre for Contemporary Security Affairs of the institution, Professor Femi Olufunmilade.
It was a consensus amongst the audience that the leadership of Nigeria should be thoroughly overhauled to ensure proactive steps towards crime detection and prevention.
The audience asked for a better way to guarantee purposeful Political Leadership which they also claimed is through an efficient electoral process where Constituents are not disenfranchised especially as exhibited by the political class through “Vote buying and Thuggery”.
