ASO ROCK WATCH: On our ‘imported’ security challenges. Two other talking points

President Muhammadu Buhari, last week, said some of the security challenges bedevilling the country were imported.

We tracked two other dominant stories from the Aso Rock Villa in the week in review.

1. ‘Imported’ security challenges

Buhari, on August 5, asserted that foreign elements were behind some of the security challenges faced in different parts of the country, while assuring the commitment of his administration to flushing them out.

The President stated this at the Graduation Course 30 of the National Defence College (NDC) in Abuja.

Represented at the event by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, he said: “We have also adopted bilateral and multilateral arrangements to tackle the trans-border and maritime crimes because we recognise that some of our security challenges are imported into Nigeria by foreign elements.”

Buhari’s claim is not new. He had once alleged that the criminal herdsmen killing, maiming, destroying farms and homes of innocent Nigerians in some States were largely foreigners who infiltrated the country.

His arguments have also been corroborated by some Northern Governors, and other top Nigerian politicians.

Having affirmed this on several occasions, it baffles concerned Nigerians why the Buhari administration has been unable to deal with the so-called foreign criminal elements, but keeps dishing out assurances, and promises of doing the needful.

Ordinarily, failure tells how porous the country’s borders are. And, Buhari, amidst his avowed stand on stamping out the criminals, should work not to ensure that the only legacy he would be remembered for is bequeathing an insecure country to Nigerians.

Two other talking points

2. On global response to insecurity

On August 2, President Buhari noted that no country can effectively tackle issues of insecurity alone.

This was contained in a statement by his Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina.

“I believe that matters of security have become the business of all nations as these challenges go beyond the abilities of any single country to effectively contain,” Buhari was quoted as saying when he accepted the letters of credentials from Juan Alfred Miranda Oritz, Ambassador of Mexico to Nigeria, and James Kingston Christoff, High Commissioner of Canada to Nigeria.

Yes, no nation can deal with insecurity alone. Collaborations with neighbouring, and far countries are proven helpful productive strategies for tackling the menace of insecurity.

However, it is rather depressing that though the Buhari administration had embarked on collaborative regional security efforts, it has yet to yield significant fruits in the fight against terrorism.

Read also: ASO ROCK WATCH: Hard knocks on opposition senators. Two other talking points

Again, as has been argued, if the President fails to act decisively, even as his government has only nine months to quit, he would be best remembered for leaving Nigeria a most insecure entity.

3. Osinbajo on staying ahead of criminals

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, on August 4, declared that the military, and other stakeholders in the fight against insecurity, need to be several steps ahead of crime perpetrators.

Osinbajo made the declaration during a virtual interaction with the National Defence College Course 30 participants.

“If you look at the challenges that we are facing and the nature of those challenges, it is evident that we need to be many steps ahead of non-state actors in particular who are perpetrators of this asymmetric warfare that we are experiencing,” he said.

Osinbajo’s submission, ordinarily, should be the norm. Disappointingly, the reverse is the case. This gap is pronouced more in the lack of timely, and adequate intelligence.

More critical is the allegation that some of the security operatives have been compromised, and hence, handicapped in the performance of their security duties.

While Osinbajo may have the right to pontificate possible ways out of Nigeria’s security menace, he should not forget that as a key member of the Executive he cannot be exonerated from the security bedeviling the country.

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