National Issues
Insecurity: Obasanjo or Jonathan, who should Nigerians believe?
I grew up in Ibadan, one of Africa’s most densely populated town, then, just few years ago, the sound and sight of bomb explosions were alien to us, except the ones we heard were happening in war-torn countries and the ones we probably watched in movies.
Today, terrorism and insecurity are right in our midst and those of our children.
Terrorism is incontrovertibly very deadly but the growing parlous insecurity situation is not limited to this alone; armed robbers are on the prowl, raping/gang-raping, maiming, cult violence and killing of innocent people on the roads, in their houses and even inside places of worship.
Killing for ritual purposes, political violence during which many Nigerians have been gunned down by the bullets of assassins to settle political scores. Kidnapping has become a lucrative business, maritime and airspace insecurity had claimed very many precious lives.
No place is safe, none is exempted; unborn babies, kids with promising future, helpless women, people of high and low status are affected daily by the insecurity malaise, in the only country they claim as their own.
Exactly when and how we got into this labyrinth is opaque but the effects stare us all in the face. Socio- economic implications of insecurity include loss of lives and properties, damaged psyche of the citizenry, rural-urban migration, dearth of skilled manpower and reliable data, more unemployment, low rating of the country, lack of foreign direct investment, negative effects’ on National Budget, distorted National Planning and myriads of other detrimental impacts.
As insecurity hit the nation, several solutions had been offered. These had included identifying, demystifying criminal groups, better policing with the use of intelligence reports, proper funding of security architecture, transparency and accountability in governance, food security, re-focused press coverage, dialogue and amnesty.
As there exists strong nexus between unemployment and insecurity, unarguably, jobs must be created to engage the hordes of youths roaming the streets.
In a Cable News Network (CNN) interview recently, while responding on how to tame the Boko Haram insurgence, former President Olusegun Obasanjo (OBJ) opined, “to deal with a group like that, you need carrot and stick.
The carrot is finding out how to reach out to them. When you try to reach out to them and they are not amenable to being reached out to, you have to use the stick”.
Ex- President, Goodluck Ebele Jonathan (GEJ) had continued to give assurances to Nigerians that his administration would soon be on top of the situation. That culprit would soon be apprehended. Bla, bla, bla…
Is OBJ Right or can we trust GEJ?
The state of insecurity has worsened since President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan won the presidential election in April 2011. Many believe that the growing terrorists activities and sectarian violence in the land were caused by some of those who contested against Jonathan.
President Goodluck Jonathan is not oblivious of the insecurity challenges in the land. The much touted national transformation agenda of the Jonathan administration came to nought when there was no solution to the menace of insecurity ravaging the country. In fact, policy analysts had posited that the ability of the past administration to nip in the bud the problem of insecurity and improve electricity supply would be major indices to evaluate the Jonathan administration at the end of his tenure.
GEJ had his good points; his rise to political ascendancy had not been, with any remarkable achievement in the area of good governance.
OBJ’s critics are quick to point out that in the first place, he foisted GEJ on Nigeria as President of Africa’s most populous country. That retrospectively, many of the factors responsible for insecurity now started during OBJ’s tenure and that some reached their peak when OBJ was President. Issues like corruption, super-ministers, assassinations and other malaise thrived under Obasanjo with reckless ignominy.
Nevertheless, OBJ as a statesman was right as he sure knows that security is central to development. His summation on Boko haram confirms this, “Boko Haram undermines security and anything that undermines security, undermines development, undermines education, undermines health, undermines agriculture and food, nutrition and security”.
From the vintage viewpoint of a country he had been opportune to govern over many years, for OBJ to posit that Nigeria has been caught in the web of high network insecurity and that obviously efforts to disengaged the nation from these social maladies had been futile are positions worth giving keen considerations.
The level of insecurity in the country is worrisome. Urgent steps need to be taken to address the problem. Nigerians had almost lost count of the number of terrorists’ attacks that had hit the country, in the last few years. Presidential condolences are not assuaging the pains; only a final stoppage can bring gain to the citizenry .
The Nigeria Police Force appears to have a little or no control over the situation; a situation that has made the ordinary law-abiding, tax-paying citizen to lose confidence in the ability and capacity of the State to protect lives and property of the citizens. It is on this weight that some people had advocated the creation of state police to tackle the security problem in the land.
There is a strong sceptism that if the level of insecurity in our country is not scaled down, Nigeria’s vision to be among the best countries of the world may be a mirage. The generation of leaders to which OBJ, GEJ and Buhari belonged, would be in history of the country, a failed generation. This is a fact that OBJ, GEJ know; this is the reality Buhari must face decisively.
By Dr. Ajibola Esuola.
Engr. Aderemi Oseni, representing Ibarapa East/Ido Federal Constituency of Oyo State in the House of Representatives, has called for a prompt investigation into the increasing occurrences of building collapses in major cities across Nigeria.
In a motion presented to the House on Wednesday, Oseni expressed deep concern over the alarming frequency of building collapses, emphasising the threat they pose to the lives and property of Nigerians.
The APC lawmaker, through a statement by his media aide, Idowu Ayodele, cited the recent collapse of a two-storey school building at Saint Academy in Busa Buji, Jos, Plateau State, on July 12, 2024. The tragic incident, which trapped 154 people and claimed 22 lives, is the latest in a series of similar disasters, raising serious concerns nationwide.
Oseni also referenced a report from The Punch newspaper, which revealed that Nigeria had recorded 135 building collapse incidents between 2022 and July 2024.
“This figure is alarming and unacceptable,” he stated, stressing the urgency of preventing further occurrences.
The Chairman of the House Committee on Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA), Oseni reminded the House that the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN) and other relevant professional bodies are responsible for ensuring compliance with building standards and practices.
“Despite these regulatory frameworks, the recurring collapses suggest that enforcement is lacking. The loss of lives, properties, and resources is staggering, and this disturbing trend must be addressed immediately,” he remarked.
He proposed the formation of an Adhoc Committee to investigate the underlying causes of these collapses and recommend both immediate and long-term solutions.
Also, he urged the House Committee on Legislative Compliance to ensure swift implementation of any recommendations.
The House agreed to deliberate on the motion and is expected to present its findings and proposed actions within eight weeks.
The Vice-chairman of the Oyo Council of Obas and Chiefs, Oba Francis Olusola Alao, has expressed deep concern over the increasing involvement of religious leaders in material pursuits, accusing them of abandoning their spiritual duties in favour of wealth and influence.
Oba Alao, who is also the Olugbon of Orile Igbon, made this statement during a visit from the leadership of the Cherubim and Seraphim Church Movement “Ayo Ni O,” led by Baba Aladura Prophet Emmanuel Abiodun Alogbo, at his palace in Surulere Local Government on Thursday.
The monarch accused some religious leaders of sharing part of the blame for the moral and political crises that have engulfed the nation. According to him, spiritual leaders, once seen as the moral compass of society, have become compromised by corruption, aligning themselves with the very forces they should condemn.
Oba Alao was unapologetic in his criticism, stating, “Ninety-five percent of Nigerian leaders, both political and religious, are spiritually compromised.”
He argued that this moral decay among clerics has made it impossible for them to hold political leaders accountable or speak the truth to those in power, as their integrity has been eroded by their pursuit of material wealth.
“Carnality has taken over spirituality. Our religious leaders can no longer speak the truth to those in authority because their minds have been corrupted. Most of the so-called General Overseers (G.O.) are corrupt and perverted,” Oba Alao added.
He stressed that this shift towards wealth accumulation at the expense of spiritual values has greatly contributed to the country’s stagnation in development and social justice.
Olugbon urged both religious leaders and traditional rulers to reflect on their actions, reminding them that they would be held accountable for their stewardship, both in this world and the next.
“The prayers of sinners are an abomination before God, hence the need for our leaders to rethink,” he warned.
The monarch concluded by reiterating the transient nature of power and the importance of staying true to sacred duties, regardless of the temptation to indulge in worldly gains. “I am a traditional ruler. I don’t belong, and will never belong, to any occultic groups,” he emphasised, drawing a clear line between his position and the corrupt practices of some leaders.
In response to the Cherubim and Seraphim Church Movement’s request for collaboration on community development projects, Oba Alao assured them of his support.
“Your requests are aimed at the development of the Orile Igbon community. I am assuring you that necessary assistance will be provided in this regard.”
Earlier, Prophet Alogbo requested the monarch’s collaboration on a range of community development projects. These initiatives include the establishment of a women and youth empowerment center, clean drinking water initiatives, a bakery, animal production facilities, and farm produce processing.
Other proposals included a diagnostic and medical center, a full-size recreational sports facility, and a home care facility for the elderly.
The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has revealed that Nigeria’s unemployment rate increased to 5.3 per cent in the first quarter of 2024. The latest figures were disclosed in a report released by the NBS on Tuesday, marking an uptick from the 5.0 per cent recorded in the third quarter (Q3) of 2023.
According to the NBS, the unemployment rate for males stood at 4.3 per cent, while females experienced a higher rate of 6.2 per cent during the same period. The report also highlighted disparities based on location, with urban areas recording a 6.0 per cent unemployment rate compared to 4.3 per cent in rural areas for Q1 2024.
“The unemployment rate for Q1 2024 was 5.3%, showing an increase from 5.0% recorded in Q3 2023,” the bureau stated in its report. The NBS defines the unemployment rate as the percentage of the labour force, including both employed and unemployed individuals, who are not working but are actively seeking employment.
Youth Unemployment Rate Declines
In a positive development, the report indicated a slight drop in youth unemployment, which fell to 8.4 per cent in Q1 2024, down from 8.6 per cent in Q3 2023. This figure represents the unemployment rate among Nigeria’s young people, a demographic that often faces unique employment challenges.
Educational Attainment and Unemployment
The report further provided insights into unemployment rates based on educational attainment. Individuals with postgraduate education recorded the lowest unemployment rate at 2.0 per cent, while those with post-secondary education faced a rate of 9.0 per cent. For people with secondary education, the rate stood at 6.9 per cent, and those with only primary education recorded a 4.0 per cent unemployment rate.
Employment-to-Population Ratio Falls to 73.2%
In addition to the unemployment data, the NBS also reported a decline in Nigeria’s employment-to-population ratio, a critical indicator of workforce participation. The ratio dropped to 73.2 per cent in Q1 2024, down from 75.6 per cent in Q3 2023. This ratio represents the percentage of the working-age population that is employed.
Breaking the data down by gender, the employment-to-population ratio for males was 74.2 per cent, while it was 72.3 per cent for females. By place of residence, urban areas had an employment-to-population ratio of 69.5 per cent, while rural areas recorded 78.9 per cent in Q1 2024, compared to 71.1 per cent and 80.7 per cent in Q3 2023, respectively.
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