Director General of the World Trade Organisation, WTO, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala has accused politicians of sponsoring insecurity in the country.
The former Nigeria’s Minister of Finance said some unscrupulous political players have weaponised insesurity for their own selfish reasons, noting that those sponsoring instability in the country don’t care whether lives are being lost in the process.
Okonjo-Iweala made the remark on Sunday at the opening ceremony of the 2024 Annual General Conference of the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA. in Lagos state.
She spoke amidst serious insecurity in the country caused by bandits and terrorists who have taken over some parts of the country, particularly in the north.
The magazine reported that over 150 peoples were abducted in an attack on Sokoto state on Sunday, the latest in the series of abductions that have taken place in recent times across Nigeria.
The development followed the abduction and murder of Isah Bawa, the Emir of Gobir in Gawata town of Sokoto state by bandits after his families failed to pay the N1 billion demanded y his abductors.
Also, some medical students who were abducted on their way to Enugu from Benue State were just released at the weekend by the nation’s security forces after spending days in the den of dare-devil kidnappers.
The magazine could not confirm whether ransome was paid before the medical students were released.
Speaking at the weekend, Okonjo-Iweala said development cannot take place in the midst of insecurity, blaming political actors in the country for the menace.
She also blamed the massive theft of the nation’s crude oil for the state of insecurity in the country, adding that the massive stealing of the nation’s oil wealth undermine its economic stability.
She said, “We certainly cannot have security without development. We all know that security has been weaponised in our country for political purposes by political actors, leading partly to the situation we have now.
“We have politicians who believe that the best way to make their opponents look bad is to instigate insecurity making it look like they can’t govern, regardless of whether this leads to loss of lives and property of innocent Nigerians.
“This has to stop.
“Nigerians have seen for years how organised crude oil theft on a massive scale seriously undermines the economic and financial health of the country,” the WTO director-general said.
“All Nigerians must agree that stealing of our national assets of any type is intolerable and must be stopped.”
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