Former President, Chief Olusegun
Obasanjo on Saturday warned that every insecurity situation in Nigeria must be
taken seriously and be addressed at once without favouritism or cuddling.
He handed the warning at the 2nd
session of the Synod held at the Cathedral Church of St.Paul’s Anglican Church,
Oleh in Isoko South Local Government Area of Delta State.
Obasanjo, who spoke on the topic,
“Mobilizing Nigeria’s human& natural resources for national development and
stability” also said both Boko Haram and herdsmen acts of violence were not
treated as they should at the beginning.
According to him, “They have both
incubated and developed beyond what Nigeria can handle alone. They are now
combined and internationalized with ISIS in control.
“It is no longer an issue of lack
of education and lack of employment for our youths in Nigeria which it began
as, it is now West African fulanization, African Islamization and global
organized crimes of human trafficking, money laundering, drug trafficking, gun
trafficking, illegal mining and regime change.
“Yet, we could have dealt with
both earlier, and nib them in the bud, but Boko Haram boys were seen as rascals
not requiring serious attention in administering holistic measures of stick and
carrot.
“And when we woke up to the
reality, it was turned to industry for all and sundry to supply materials and
equipment that were already outdated and that were not fit for active military
purpose.
“Soldiers were poorly trained for
the unusual mission, poorly equipped, poorly motivated, poorly led and made to
engage in propaganda rather than achieving results.
“Intelligence was poor and
governments embarked on games of denials while paying ransoms which
strengthened the insurgents and yet governments denied payments of ransoms.
Today, the insecurity issue has gone beyond the wit and capacity of Nigerian
Government or even West African Governments”.
Obasanjo continued, “Government
must appreciate where we are, summon each group that should make contributions
one by one and subsequently collectively seek the way forward for all hands on
deck and with the holistic approach of stick and carrot.
He stressed, “There should be no
sacred cow. Some of the groups that I will suggest to be contacted are:
Traditional rulers, past heads of Service Chiefs (no matter how competent or
incompetent they have been and how much they have contributed to the mess we
are in), past heads of paramilitary or organizations, private sector, civil
society , community leaders particularly in the most affected areas, present
and past governors, present and past local government leaders, religious
leaders, past Heads of States, past Intelligence Chiefs, past heads of Civil
Service and.relevant current and retired diplomats, members of opposition and
nay groups that may be deemed relevant.
“After we have found appropriate
solution internally, we should move to bilateral, multinational, regional,
co.tinental and global levels. With ISIS involvement, we cannot but go global.
” Without security
and.predictable stability, our development , growth and progress are in period.
“Let me hasten to add that we
must be at the appropriate seat at the table of international discourse,
deliberations, agenda and action.”
Speaking on the theme for this
year’s synod is “Work, night comes – John 9:4&5”, the Bishop of Oleh
Diocese, Anglican Communion, Rt.Rev. John Aruakpor, in a sermon, charged his
audience to make haste and serve God while they are still alive stressing that,
“no one knows when, where and how death will meet them.”
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