By the definition of a failed state, Nigeria is gradually teetering towards a failed state, security is not the only area this government has failed, but as in every other facets of our national life we are performing below our potential from education to economy, security to national cohesion, power to policy statement, among others.

Security, under the current administration has failed beyond tolerance, unless something fundamental is done to avert the worse tragedy looming , if not,  Nigeria will die if we keep pretending that she is only slightly indisposed.

In the last six years, banditry alone have killed scores of civilians and in recent months organized kidnapping have become the order of the day, with hundreds of Nigerians from villages, schools, markets , place of worship and motorways across the country are being kidnapped at every opportunity, with security operatives seemingly overwhelmed fighting many battles at the same time which has empowered the emergence of non-state actors across the country. By this yardstick, Africa’s most populous country is teetering on the brink.

Like never before, the country is in near collapse as her security’s establishment is being overrun by Boko Haram, bandits , kidnappers, armed robbers with scores of Nigeria fleeing their homes for safety with Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps springing up in every nook and crannies of the country, with no sign of resuscitation. It is a matter of time, before Nigeria would be on par levels with Somalia, Afghanistan, Syria, and other failed states .

Even though, the future of Nigeria looks doom, in my honest opinion, I don’t see another wasteful national conference as the urgent step the country needs to take, to address these nagging questions requesting resolute answers. What happened to the report of 2014 CONFAB?

Instead, there should be emergency joint national assembly where the following issues can be debated , then passed into laws under emergency act without presidential assent. There is need for a referendum to be conducted across the country to debate whether the country should continue to forge ahead as one, or go its separate way, because it is happier, since the union is no longer working.

Addressing the current state of insecurity called for urgent concern, it would require a genuine reflection and all hands must be on deck before insecurities overwhelmed the state completely. It is obvious that the police, army and other securities apparatus are overwhelmed, and in no doubt, all the forces are exploiting the weakness of Nigeria security architectures where order must be granted from Abuja before decisive actions can be taken against the enemy of the state.

Unarguably, Nigeria police have outgrown its usefulness, all over the world; police are driven by intelligence with less combat but as it appears , the Nigeria police still rely on physical combat; therefore, there is urgent need for total overhauling of this force. As it stands, Nigeria police is like a dead child in the bathtub. The current insecurities require intelligent driven approach coordinated through bottom to top security pyramid, not this orbit security architecture that has outgrown its usefulness. Most of these wars have to do with more of police intervention than military.

More importantly, the current security architecture that domiciled operation control and command in Abuja is no longer effective, if we are to win these wars, there is need for urgent reforms of our security architectures. According to Global index, Nigeria has the lowest number of police per person in the world.  According to united Nation on homeland security, it appropriates three (3) police officer per citizen, but in the case of Nigeria, about 60% of Nigeria police are currently attached to powerful individuals, wife/concubine of politicians, helping them to carry handbag or escorting their spoiled kids to nightclub while large swathes of Nigeria territory are under the dictate and commands of criminal due to the absence of police.

Among other things, the joint emergency national assembly must  agree on the need for creation of state police and forest guard, each taking command and control from the state commands with joint operational codes and intelligence sharing among sisters state within the same region. This  will fast track cracking down of criminals from their hideouts. Such state police would require government wining the confidence and trust of her citizens through intelligence gathering, maintaining confidentiality, motivation and recruitment of locals devoid of any political undertone.

Also, the joint emergency national assembly must agree as a matter of urgency, total devolution of power. The current system is not working, we don’t have to pretend about it. For instance , our criminal and justice administration system requires a radical reform, and there is need for total decongesting of Supreme Court. The time taken to conclude trials or political cases sometimes often lead to miscarriage of justice, just as Festus Keyamo, SAN said, there is need for regional supreme court empower to tackles criminal cases emanated from each region instead of piling up files in Abuja.  When criminal cases are treated as one, it will deter others from partaking in it.

Also, the session must agree a six-year single tenure for the executives and three years, two tenure for non- executives with a single National Assembly. This  current system is wasteful with little or no impact. At the moment, Nigeria is a poor country, no need to pretend about it, the political elites must cut our coat according to our size, it doesn’t make sense that almost all our revenue goes to debit and salary service.

Conclusively , there is a need for national aspiration among all party built on a common cultural shock. The south and the north operate on a different cultural shock, if the country will move forward there is urgent need for establishment of national aspiration by the elites as we have it in saner climes.

With these, Nigerians would enjoy dividends of democracy which is more than capable of turning the country around.

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“I can’t stay here, not after yesterday. You can’t look at that yesterday and think I want to be a part of that in any way, shape or form,” Mulvaney told CNBC television.

Mulvaney, who had earlier been moved from chief of staff to special envoy for Northern Ireland, informed  that he told Secretary of State Mike Pompeo he was resigning.

He added, “I can’t do it. I can’t stay,” he told CNBC, indicating that other White House staff were eying the exits.

“Those who choose to stay, and I have talked with some of them, are choosing to stay because they’re worried the president might put someone worse in”.

Recall on Wednesday, thousands of Trump supporters left a rally with the president, then stormed into Congress, temporarily halting proceedings to certify Democrat Joe Biden as the winner of the November presidential election.

Immediately after the violence, which Trump has still failed to condemn, deputy national security adviser Matt Pottinger resigned.

Another departure was Stephanie Grisham, a former White House press secretary now working as spokeswoman for First Lady Melania Trump.

US media reported that Marc Short, chief of staff to Vice President Mike Pence, had been blocked from entering the White House — apparently in retaliation for Pence’s decision to ignore Trump’s demand that he block the certification of Biden.

The outrage across Washington at the day’s events fed growing speculation that more senior Trump administration figures may be leaving.

Biden will take over the presidency when he is sworn in on January 20.

AFP

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The NCDC in a tweet  diisclosed this, just as it warned Nigerians against self-medicating with the drug.

The tweet reads, “Please remember that the use of chloroquine and its derivatives for the management of coronavirus disease has NOT been validated and approved. Self-medication can cause harm and lead to death. Do not misuse drugs”.

It would be recallled that there has been controversy over whether or not Chloroquine, an anti-malarial drug can cure the coronavirus disease especially after US President Donald Trump declared  on March 19 that it had been approved to treat the new virus.

Meanwhiile, Trump’s announcement followed encouraging research into chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine both in France and China, however many in the wider scientific community cautioned that more work is needed to prove they really work for COVID-19.

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Washington closed its embassy during the 1991 overthrow of president Siad Barre’s military regime which ushered in decades of chaos, however, diplomatic relations have strengthened in recent years.

“Today we reaffirm the relations between the American people and the Somali people and our two nations,” said Ambassador Donald Yamamoto in a statement.

“It is a significant and historic day that reflects Somalia’s progress in recent years, and another step forward in regularising U.S. diplomatic engagement in Mogadishu since recognising the federal government of Somalia in 2013.”

A permanent diplomatic presence was established in Mogadishu in December 2018, however, was operated out of Nairobi.

The country continues to be wracked by an Islamist insurgency, and Al-Shabaab militants on Monday staged an attack on a military base that is a major launching site for US drone operations, as well as a European Union convoy.

US strikes in Somalia surged in April 2017, after President Donald Trump declared the south of the country an “area of active hostilities”.

“The United States remains a strong partner to Somalia in its effort to build a stable, credible, and democratic country,” said the statement.

AFP

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Ale, who is the National President of Association of Water Well Drilling Rig Owners and Practitioners (AWDROP), had earlier promised last year to drill the boreholes if Donald Trump became US President.

Addressing newsmen recently during the commissioning of some of the boreholes in Aiyegbaju, his hometown in Ekiti state said the commissioned water boreholes was tagged, “Okun Inu; Eye Ode”, meaning: “Inner strength; Outer beauty”.

Mega Icon Magazine reliably gathered that six boreholes have been constructed so far.

Engr. Ale during the commissioning of some boreholes situated at Aiyegbaju, Ekiti state.

Speaking further, Ale disclosed that the project was in collaboration with his association, AWDROP and included the repairs of all abandoned dilapidated boreholes in the communities.

His statement reads: “As you can see the pictures of Donald Trump on all constructed water boreholes in this community, this is part of my promise that if Trump wins the US presidential election, I will drill not fewer than hundred water boreholes in communities in Nigeria.

“They say Charity begins at home. Therefore, I’m starting from my hometown, Aiyegbaju in Ekiti State and to all other parts in the country. Members of AWDROP, which is under the umbrella of drilling practitioners in Nigeria are also supporting in this project to provide clean and safe drinking water for Nigerian populace”.

Asked if the projects were part of ground moves towards a political ambition, Ale reacted: “I’m a professional today and that does not mean I can’t dabble into politics tomorrow because we are all political animals. But what is important is that, water is life and it is evident that for you to develop well, you need water in your life. And in this community where I grew up, I have stayed there without access to save drinking water for a long time.

“I want to see if this can be a model for other communities to emulate. When you make a community grow and develop in terms of water, hospital and other things, you are making greater impacts on the lives of the people and unborn generation. And I urge the intended persons to make projects like this sustainable. Parts of our sustainable plan for this project is not to make it go moribund.

Engr. Ale, a Geologist also called on government at all levels to address the menace of quackery in water sector noting that only 30 percent of the Nigerian populace have access to safe drinking water owing to the prevalence of engaging the services of quacks in borehole drilling  by both government and many Nigerians.

The experts, however explained the consequences of the foregoing as spread of water-borne diseases and threat to healthy lifestyle of many Nigerians. He urged the government and individuals to patronise professionals in borehole drilling.

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