News
Moral Compass: The Way Forward
By Tolulope A. Adegoke
“Any power base which is not rooted in that which is just and morally defensible is bound to crumble from internal contradictions in the long run. Our Nation must reorder its scale of moral value in order to arrest the current decline and establish a new and dynamic society, as this is the way forward for a time as this!” – Tolulope A. Adegoke A., PhD., MNIM, FIMC, CMC, CMS
From the lessons of history, we know that empires and nations fall sometimes by the accident of history and sometimes by the combination of forces outside the control of those affected. Invariably, the main factors include:
- cultural dis-affinity and geopolitical diversity;
- bribery and corruption and inept leadership;
iii. moral decadence and laxity among the people;
- religious strife and persecution and oppression of minorities;
- defeat in wars and costly foreign adventures, among others.
If we take a critical look at the above factors that led to the collapse of empires and nations in the past, one is pleasantly surprised that Nigeria has survived to date because of the sacrifice and tolerance of the majority. We should always try to empathize with the silent minority, and imagine how we would feel if the petroleum oil produced on our soil and in the process of producing which, our waters and environment are permanently polluted, is used to develop other places while we remain neglected. We should also focus attention on the increasing unbearable sacrifice demanded for the silent majority – the have nots in all parts of the Federation especially the urban poor and unemployed. Their deafening silence sounds to many like the gathering storm but nobody seems to listen to their cries and anguish.
Nigeria was founded at the beginning of the century on the tripod theory of power – the former Northern Region, the West and East. The country foundered on this power base by 1966. The power at the center was to be held in trust by the British imperial power but when independence came, almost prematurely, it was to be shared by a coalition led by the North. In 1963, the Mid-West Region was created and three plus one is not equal to four if the base is not ten. This is not a place or time to review the details of events that led to the civil war, but the Federal Military Government decided after due consultation with those available, to embark on the political structural adjustment programme involving the creation of twelve states on the 27th May 1967 which brought about some intelligent reports and development and also terminated some trends and patterns. It is important to note that all hands must be on deck to salvage Nigeria at this crucial period as did then
Factors influencing the decline and fall of individuals, nations and empires in history and compare the excesses of some of the Nigeria leadership in our lifetime, one marvels at the goodness of the Almighty that Nigeria has survived to date. I am sure about what we have done right to keep the country going in the past but, to continue to survive, we have as a nation to satisfy the following necessary conditions:
- Equal opportunity for all citizens in education, employment and all matters relating to law enforcement (federal character should not be applied only where it is convenient or beneficial to the ruling class, neither should it be used as the pretext for enthroning mediocrity; when applied in good faith, it can the best from every part the Federation, although the contrary seems to be the case from our recent history).
- The Minority Question: There are four main power groups in the country, the Hausa-Fulani in the North, the Yoruba in the West, the Igbo in the East and the Minorities in each of the old regions. The minorities form about 45% of the total population in the country. The political arithmetic is that in any democratic process, one of the major groups needs the support of the minorities to gain power. Besides, any group temporarily out of power feels like a minority. This reinforces the contention that we should not return to the system of winner-takes-all. No section should be made to feel perpetually enslaved like second-class citizens.
iii. New Breed Ruling Class will be most welcome in the new Nigeria of our dreams. This is the utopian prescription for stability since from experience, the new breed can only be produced by new vetros’ ethics. We readily blame the political leadership for abuse of office, bribery and corruption but we often forget that it is the voters who demand the lion’s share of the loot. We must understand that all the historian can do is to plead that future politicians realize that they need not become the slave
the electorate they chose to serve. In all we do, there is always some merit of moderation. There is no need to put all one’s eggs in one basket.
As a nation, Nigeria has not been blessed with charismatic leadership universally acclaimed or generated acceptable to all. Neither have Nigerians been fortunate enough to have such leadership imposed. A charismatic leader must fire the imagination of the people and reflect their collective ego and pride. There is no collective historical necessity for this to happen in a heterogeneous society, such as Nigeria, but if it did, it will enable the process of restoring national self-confidence and arresting further decline of the nation.
…To be continued…
Thank you for reading.
The Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, has said that every Nigerian citizen is mandated by law to initiate an arrest if they notice a crime being committed anywhere.
Adejobi made the revelation while speaking as a panelist during the panel session at the 2023 National Security Conference of the National Association of Online Security News Publishers (NAOSNP) with the theme “Proliferation of Lethal Weapon As Security Threat: Arm-Full, Harm-full to New Dispensation’ held on Thursday in Lagos.
The FPRO, who represented the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, leveraged on Section 12 of the Criminal Code, to buttress his point, saying it empowers individual Nigerians to initiate arrest, and hand over to the Police, adding that initiating the arrest does not include beating up a suspect, mobbing or lynching.
He added however, that the difference between the regular citizens and security agencies is one does not bear arms while the other does, while reiterating that whoever wishes to own or possess weapons must have them licensed by the appropriate government agency or will be seen to have run foul of the law, and made to face and bear the full weight of the law.
“The law empowers the military personnel, and other law enforcement agencies to bear arms, but it’s however, frightening to see many individuals in possession of arms without being licensed by the relevant authority,” he said.
The Chairman, Police Service Commission, Mr. Solomon Arase, has hailed President Bola Tinubu for approving the recruitment of 30,000 new personnel into the Nigeria Police Force. He said the gesture will help not only in sustaining peace and security,but also check the proliferation of small arms and lethal weapons, which has been the bane of safety in the nation.
Mr. Arase, who was represented by AIG Ade Shinaba, made the remarks while speaking as the special guest of honour at the 2023 National Association of Online Security News Publishers (NAOSNP) National Security Conference at the Civic Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos, said the president has set the pace in setting security on the right path and the enlargement of the force will go a long way in checking the proliferation of Lethal weapons and small arms in the country.
The Commandant General (CG) of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Dr Ahmed Abubakar Audi, has said that the Corps will continue to ensure security of lives and protection of critical national assets and Infrastructure in Katsina state.
The National Public Relations Officer of the Corps, CSC Babawale Afolabi, in a statement made available to the National Association of Online Security News Publishers (NAOSNP), said the Commandant General gave the assurance when he played host to the Executive Governor of Katsina State, Dikko Umar Radda, at the Corps’ National Headquarters, Abuja on Tuesday.
He said that effective security is sacrosanct to the Corps and strategies are constantly being deployed to ensure that criminality is reduced drastically.
He assured the Governor and the good people of Katsina state of the Corps’ commitment to curbing insecurity by employing both kinetic and non-kinetic approaches to achieving results.
“I understand that Katsina State had experienced some bandit attacks in the last couple of years.
“Its vulnerability which is partly due to its big size and geographical location as a state bordering other states in the North and the Niger Republic is of great concern.
“But be rest assured that with the on-going recruitment in the Corps, more men would be deployed to Katsina to strengthen security in the state,” the CG hinted.
He reiterates that insecurity in the country took an asymmetric form almost two decades ago and it must not be allowed to spread further.
The Corps helmsman called on State Governors who are the chief security officers of their various states to adopt more robust and inclusive approaches in stepping up security.
According to Dr Audi, state governments have greater roles to play in providing maximum support that will help in curbing attacks and criminalities in states.
“Sometimes, these bandits come out from their hiding, hit a target and run back to hiding; leaving a devastating effect on both lives and property.
“We have our Special Forces and with scientific collaborations with other security agencies, the attacks will come to an end very soon.
“No single agency can tackle insecurity, hence, the need for a more inclusive operational strategy to end the menace,” CG said.
The CG commended the Governor for the proactive steps taken in the right direction to secure his people and assured of the Corps’ readiness to collaborate effectively with Katsina State Government in the fight against banditry, vandalism and economic sabotage in the state.
Responding, the Katsina State Governor stated that his visit was to further solidify the existing cordial relationship between the Corps and Katsina State Government.
“You have have been very supportive in addressing the issues of insecurity disturbing our people.
“Katsina is one of the states suffering from bandit attacks and other forms of criminalities.
“I have therefore come to solicit for more cooperation and to see how we can collaborate in bringing peace to our state,” he said.
The Governor lamented the inadequate number of personnel across security services which has impeded the expected success in the fight against insecurity.
He explained that the state has trained and engaged the service of about one thousand five hundred (1,500) indigenes to assist the conventional security agencies in the state.
“I believe with the engagement of the locals in the form of civilian Joint Task Force (JTF), combined with the conventional security, we will go a long way in combating insecurity and reduce it to the barest minimum,” the Governor said.
