From Kayode Abdulazeez, Ilorin
A former United Nations Under-Secretary, Professor Ibrahim Agboola Gambari, has warned that the future of Nigeria as a country is bleak unless the Federal Government commits more resources on prevention of terrorism; noting that prevention is better than cure.
Prof Gambari added that government must also guide against excess budgetary provision in the fight against terrorism and other forms of security challenges bedeviling the country.
The UN scribe handed down this warning recently at the biennial conference of Centre for Ilorin Studies, University of Ilorin held at the institution Main Campus.
His warning came after the recent Federal Government’s approval of $1billion for procurement of arms and other military hardware to tackle multitudinous of insecurity in the country.
He said that, “The military had to be equipped to confront threat to nation’s security though, the government should be cautious in committing huge resources.”
Professor Gambari challenges the government’s approach to the fight against insecurity in the country without tackling problems of poverty, politics of exclusion, marginalisation and youth unemployment.
The former Minister of External Affairs called for holistic approach to our security problems in the country to prevent re-occurrence of robbery attack in Offa, Kwara State.
“In our approach to addressing the challenges of security, we tend to address only one aspect; the military and physical threat to security. And that is why we deploy security forces all over Nigeria to what is essentially police duty, what is essentially community policing duty, what is essentially what traditional rulers and authorities ought to be addressing.
“But we don’t address it sufficiently to be mindful that it is none military threat to security, such as poverty, political exclusion, marginalisation, youth unemployment and the state of the nation, because Offa, Ilorin, Kwara State, we are parts of the world and that is why we must, in addressing the security challenges of our state, look at the context.
“We must make Nigeria we want, Nigeria of our dreams so that it is not just a mere geographical expression but a community of inclusive sharing common values and aspirations. That is what is called nation building. And if you don’t build a nation, problem will destroy it for you.
“Most of us who have traveled far and wide, we know that Nigeria is not where it should be and not near where it can be. It is my view that in order to redeem economic ground, which we have lost and to move the country forward, we need to embark on concerted effort to make main set of changes; structural policy and attitudinal.
“And nowhere is it more evident than the security challenges facing our country, because you cannot have development without peace. So there is a link between security and development.
“The most extreme form of insecurity is terrorism, and this scourge of terrorism and violent extremism is not only global but it has become continental, national and local.
“In fact, over the last few years, the threat of violent extremism and terrorism had risen to alarming global proportion and African continent has not been spared. Let me give you some statistics. 25 African countries experienced one form of terrorism attack in one form or another.
“So, we can see the future now. The future is bleak unless we make effort, and this is again where I differed from some of the approaches. We should spend less money on just equipping our military. That is security services, yes, we need to equip, fight physical threat to security. But we should spend more resources on prevention, as we know that prevention is better than cure and at least, most cheap”.
