2023: Business Community Tasks Buhari On Security

By James Orji

The Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, LCCI has warned the federal government to focus more on providing security across the country rather than priotising next year’s general election.

The Chamber make the admonition barely 24 hours after President Muhammadu Buhari disclosed that the insecurity situation in the country will soon come to an end.

Buhari said this as part of his Eid message to Nigerian, to mark the end of 30 days fasting by Muslims across the country.

“As we celebrate this occasion with joy amidst friends and family members, we are fully conscious of the fact that many families in our country are in a state of fear and anxiety on account of the many captives held by terrorists against their will, including those taken away after the tragic bombing of the Abuja – Kaduna train.

“I have directed security agencies to ensure quick and safe recovery of all victims of kidnapping. I urge the railway management to immediately set up a situation room for the coordination of the rescue mission and for a minute-by-minute engagement with the families of the captives.

“This should ease their pain and anxiety as we push the military to finding a safe return to their families. My aim is to see all those in captivity safely rescued.

“Let me assure Nigerians that the bandits are just pushing their luck, but this is only for a while before they are finally crushed. They are using civilians as human shields, thereby making it difficult to confront them directly,” Buhari said on Monday.

But LCCI is worried that the preparations for 2023 election had taken more attention of the government.

President of the Chamber, Michael Olawale-Cole, stated this in Lagos on Tuesday during the security meets business dialogue organised by the LCCI.

At the meeting which had in attendance the Secretary to the Federation, SGF Boss Mustapha and security experts across the country, Olawale-Cole said the government must focus more on providing security of life and property in order to resolve the country’s economic challenges.

He warned politicians not to play politics with the country’s security, noting that businesses will only thrive where there’s adequate security for all citizens.

According to Olawale-Cole, “Without security, the business community cannot thrive. This is the point of confluence where security meets business. And that is the reason for this conference today.”

“As we approach an election year, we recommend that the government separate politics from security and that the security agencies stay off politics.

“And there is a need to step up enlightenment campaigns against political violence as this could lay an extra burden on our security agencies as they contend with bandits, terrorists, and kidnappers across the country.”