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In Northern Nigeria, We Are Wedding Illiteracy To Illiteracy

By
The Source
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0
Zainab Suleiman

 

An Open Letter to Northern Nigerian Political Leaders

 

By Dr. Zainab Suleiman

 

An open letter to Northern Nigerian Political Leaders

 

To: The Governors, Commissioners, Hisbah Boards, Traditional Rulers, and Legislators of Northern Nigeria

 

Subject: Stop Cloning Poverty: Marry Skills, Not Just Couples

 

Esteemed Leaders,

 

I write not to insult, but to confront us with a truth too bitter to keep swallowing.

 

This year, Kano has approved N1.5bn for 3,000 couples. Katsina is sponsoring 1,000 couples. Zamfara, 100 couples. Mass weddings are paraded as welfare. But sirs, let us ask the hard question: What exactly are we wedding?

 

1. We are wedding illiteracy to illiteracy

When both partners cannot read a prescription, cannot calculate school fees, and have no trade beyond “survival”, we are not forming families. We are duplicating poverty. A ring does not create income. A certificate of marriage does not create jobs.

 

2. GDP vs Womb Count

Our GDP grows when we produce goods, services, and ideas. But we celebrate population growth as if it were production. 3,000 new households without land, factories, clinics, or schools is like building 10 floors on sand. The building will fall. It is falling already. You cannot eat GDP. And GDP cannot feed children born into homes with zero economic base.

 

3. The Street Kid Factory

Marry two people with no income → have 6 kids → cannot feed them → children hit the street. Those street kids don’t disappear. In 15 years they become the statistics for crime, drug abuse, banditry, and terrorism we cry over today.

 

We are not having babies. We are manufacturing future headlines for NBS and UN reports.

 

4. Malnutrition is killing our children like chickens

When 8 mouths share 1 meal, the smallest bodies lose first. Stunting, kwashiorkor, measles, diarrhea — these are not “God’s will”. They are math. Calories in < calories needed = death. Our under-5 mortality rate is the verdict on our choices.

 

5. Broken homes from day one

A wedding does not cure unemployment or trauma. Illiteracy + poverty + desperation = divorce, domestic violence, and children who grow up learning that marriage = suffering, father = absent.

 

Terrorism does not start with ideology. It starts with hopelessness. Boko Haram, bandits, cults — they do not recruit PhDs. They recruit boys who were “produced” but never raised.

 

6. This is not religion

Islam demands _nafaqah_ the ability to provide. Christianity says “he who does not provide for his household is worse than an unbeliever”. Our tradition says “know the family you’re joining”.

 

No religion encourages backwardness. What we are doing is weaponizing religion to dodge responsibility. Piety without planning is negligence with prayers.

 

7. The women and the future we ignore

Mass wedding + zero family planning education = women’s bodies broken by back-to-back pregnancies. Maternal mortality is the hidden tax we don’t budget for.

 

When 7 kids share 0 books, public schools collapse into daycare centers. Mental health dies under shame and hunger. And we pretend we will “fix it later”.

 

The deepest cut for us ,

We are not cursed. We are making choices with consequences. Marrying poverty to poverty and calling it “empowerment” is like pouring petrol on fire and calling it rain.

 

So what is the plan, leaders?

N1.5bn for dowry, furniture, and N100k “capital”… then silence. No skills training. No literacy classes. No job placement. No follow-up.

 

The real plan seems to be: “Push the problem 18 years forward and let the next governor handle the street kids.”

 

Here is what would change everything:

Take half that budget. Before any wedding:

1. Adult literacy + numeracy: 6 months. If you can’t read, you can’t budget.

2. Vocational training: Carpentry, tailoring, solar installation, farming tech, phone repair. Give skills, not just furniture.

3. Family planning + health education: Not to stop births, but to space them so mothers and children survive.

4. Marriage counseling: Teach conflict resolution. A home without peace is a prison.

 

Marriage should equal: skill + income + literacy + planning. Anything less is a photo-op, not policy.

 

Sirs, we in Abuja see the result daily: beggars at Area 1, almajiri at traffic lights, mothers selling sachet water with babies on their backs. That is not “the poor”. That is the child of the wedding we cheered 10 years ago.

 

The North does not lack faith. It lacks foresight. If we want a North that leads Nigeria, we must stop producing children without infrastructure. We must stop treating population as wealth.

 

Give us leaders who think right even when there is no election. Give these couples more than a ceremony. Give them a future.

 

The children we fail to feed today will be the men we fail to jail tomorrow. The choice is yours.

 

Respectfully,

A Citizen Who Still Believes the North Can Rise

Dr.Zainab Suleiman Buhari

“Gov Alia Bent On Rubbishing Me In Benue State” – Fmr. Gov. Ortom

By
Suleiman Anyalewechi
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Samuel Ortom and Gov Alia

By Suleiman Anyalewechi

 

Immediate past Governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom has accused his successor in office, Rev Fr Hyacinth Alia, of engaging in an orchestrated political witch-hunt solely targeted at rubbishing him.

 

Ortom’s alarm bell is tolling  on the heels of the formal submission of the reports of the Commission of Inquiry on the State’s  Income and Expenditure Profile to Governor Alia on Friday.

 

Although, details of the Commission’s report that covered  receipts and expenditures of the State between 2015 and 2023 were not made public, speculations are rife that Ortom may have been seriously indicted.

 

But in a statement on Saturday, June 20, 2026, from Paul Zege, his spokesperson, the former Benue state Governor, while vehemently rejecting the reports, described the exercise as not genuinely inspired, but a predetermined process deliberately put in place to discredit him.

 

This was as he declared the probe, and its outcome a nullity, having been conducted amidst pending legal proceedings before courts of competent jurisdiction.

 

Ortom further informed that the Benue State Government had earlier constituted two separate panels to carry out inquests into his administration, but were later dissolved following Court’s injunctions.

 

According to him, similar  Court orders arising from pending legal proceedings interrogating it’s legality  were also served on the present Commission of Inquiry.

 

He however expressed serious concern and regret that the panel chose to proceed with it in total disregard of the court orders.

 

He explained that while  proceedings in one of the pending court cases,is billed for hearing on June 29,2026 ,the state Government’s appeal at the Supreme relating to the constitutionality of the exercise is yet to be determined.

 

” It is astonishing that a Government which has voluntarily submitted itself to the jurisdiction of the courts would proceed as though those processes do not exist”Ortom stated.

 

The former Governor accused his successor of only trying to use the illegal probes to mask his glaring failure in discharging pressing governance challenges facing  Benue state.

 

 He expressed disappointment that rather than attending to the growing level of insecurity, the deteriorating condition of internally displaced persons IDPs, unresolved Labour matters, as well as crisis in many sectors of the economy of the State, Governor Alia has continued to dissipate energy and resources seeking to rubbish him and his administration.

 

He maintained that his administration conducted its financial and other activities in line with extant rules and regulations governing public expenditures.

VDM Confirms EFCC’s Invitation, Discloses Why

By
Akinwale Kasali
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0
VeryDarkMan - VDM

By Akinwale Kasali

 

Vincent Otse, popular as Verydarkman, VDM,  a Social Media Activist, known for his activism and  exposure of the ills of the society, has confirmed that the anti-graft agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has invited him to its office.

 

It was gathered that the Social Media Influencer was invited by the EFCC following a complaint submitted to the anti-graft agency by legal practitioner, Blessing Agbomhere, of Blessing Agbomhere & Partners, who requested that the EFCC should do a comprehensive investigation into the financial activities, sponsorship arrangements, and funding channels of both VeryDarkMan and his Lawyer, Deji Adeyanju, also a Human Rights Activist.

 

Confirming the invitation in his Instagram handle, VDM claimed that the probe is a calculated attempt to silence dissenting voices in the country.

 

He alleged that members of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, used the legal channels to initiate the inquiry in order to suppress public criticism of the current administration’s shortcomings.

 

He also wrote on his update: “(THEY WANT TO STOP US FROM SPEAKING AGAINST THIS  GOVERNMENT THAT HAS FAILED TO PROTECT THE LIVES OF NIGERIANS, SO THEY USED THEIR PEOPLE TO WRITE PETITIONS)”.

 

The leader of the Ratel Movement further detailed the contents of the complaint, stating that the political establishment wants to frame their organic advocacy work as an illegal operation.

 

“They say APC wrote a petition to efcc to investigate myself and @adeyanjudeji according to the petition they are claiming we are fighting against bad governance and therefore we are being sponsored so they need to investigate US, they claim our protest is so organized and well organic, they are surprised by the turnout of Nigerians that want change, SO FOR THAT REASON APC member who is also a lawyer wrote a petition.

 

“In a nutshell they want to claim we are sponsoring terrorism in other to disrupt APC GOVERNMENT”.

 

He also noted that the petitioner, Blessing Agbomhere, is an APC member from his own local government area of Etsako in Edo State.

 

According to the documents he shared, the petition was received by the commission’s headquarters on June 18, 2026.

Driver Caught For Allegedly Plotting Boss Abduction, Death In Ogun State

By
Akinwale Kasali
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0
Driver Caught in Ogun State

By Akinwale Kasali

 

If not for the swift intervention of the “So Safe Security Officers” in Ota area of Ogun State through a whistle-blower who was part of the plan to kidnap and murder,  Chidozie Joseph, a Business Man, would have by now, been a dead man. His driver,  Moses Owolabi, was the mastermind of the evil plot.

 

Owolabi had planned, with some persons, to abduct his boss, collect ransom, and eventually kill him. But one of them, a butcher, reported the plot to “So Safe Security Operatives”.

 

This led to the arrest of Owolabi and his accomplices, who later confessed to their crime.

 

This incident was disclosed by political activist, Festus Olanrewaju Ojo. The suspects were paraded at the Ogun State Police Command.

 

The video of the suspects is currently trending on social media, raising the spate of insecurity bedeviling the nation.

Allegations Of Vote Buying, Late Arrival Of Materials, Officials, Trail Ekiti Gov Election

By
Ayodele Oni
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0
Ekiti Election

By Ayodele Oni

 

There are mixed reactions to the governorship election in Ekiti state on Saturday as results are being collated at wards level.

 

Report indicate peaceful conduct of the election as people trooped out to vote, but early morning reaction indicated a possible low turn out.

 

Except in few cases the BVN machines met voters expectations, as they were accredited and cast their votes early and left for their homes.

 

The security situation was normal as there was no reported cases of violence while voting lasted.

 

Hon. Biodun Omoleye, member representing Ekiti Central Federal Constituency II, commended the peaceful and orderly conduct of the elections, describing the exercise as a positive indication of improvements in the electoral process.

 

Speaking with journalists shortly after casting his vote at Polling Unit 13, Iloro/Ijurin Ward, Omoleye said the electoral process had been smooth and devoid of intimidation or violence.

 

According to him, reports from across the constituency indicated that the election was being conducted in a peaceful atmosphere, with voters turning out early to participate in the exercise.

 

“Everything is peaceful and orderly. The system is working. I must commend the electoral body for the improvement we are witnessing.

 

“This is a standard that deserves recognition, and I also commend all stakeholders involved in the process,” he said.

 

The federal lawmaker noted that voters arrived at polling units as early as 7:00 a.m., while election officials and security personnel carried out their responsibilities effectively.

 

Omoleye also praised security agencies for maintaining law and order throughout the exercise, saying their presence had contributed significantly to the peaceful environment observed across the state.

 

“I have gone round different areas, and everywhere remains peaceful. Everything has gone well here, and I commend the security agents and all stakeholders for their contributions to the success of the exercise,” he stated.

 

However, allegations of vote-buying  emerged during, with several voters claiming they received cash of Ten Thousand Naira each from political parties in exchange for their votes.

A visit to multiple polling units in Aramoko Ekiti, the hometown of the mother of incumbent Governor Biodun Oyebanji, where some voters admitted receiving money to support candidates in the election.

 

At least five voters interviewed separately alleged that they were each paid N10,000 to vote for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

 

The voters described the practice as widespread across several polling units in the community.

 

Party agents, according to investigation allegedly offered N10,000 in exchange for support for Governor Oyebanji, while the ADC representative allegedly offered N2,000 for a vote in favour of the opposition party.

 

Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) visited Governor Oyebanji’s polling unit in Ikogosi following reports of vote-buying in parts of the state.

 

According to earlier reports, about 10 EFCC officials arrived at Polling Unit 003, Ward 06, Ikogosi, in Ekiti West Local Government Area shortly after voting commenced on Saturday to monitor activities around the polling centre. No arrests were announced during the visit.

 

The EFCC’s presence followed repeated warnings by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), civil society organisations and anti-corruption agencies against voter inducement and other forms of electoral malpractice.

 

the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Dr. Wole Oluyede, raised concerns over alleged irregularities, claiming that delays and the conduct of electoral officials threatened the integrity of the voting process.

 

Oluyede made the allegation while speaking with journalists shortly after casting his vote at Polling Unit 6, Ward 3, Osagulu Hall, Ado-Ekiti.

 

The PDP candidate expressed concern over what he described as an unjustified delay in the commencement of voting despite the early arrival of voters and election materials at the polling unit.

 

According to him, sensitive election materials were delivered to the polling centre early, while voters, including himself, arrived as early as 6:30 a.m.

 

He, however, noted that voting had yet to begin as of 9:45 a.m. Oluyede said neither INEC officials nor security personnel offered any satisfactory explanation for the delay, leaving voters waiting for several hours without clarity on when accreditation and voting would commence.

 

“The security officials and INEC personnel, without giving any reasonable explanation, stalled the voting process and kept the people waiting for several hours.

 

“I joined other voters on the queue very early this morning, yet up till now there has been no clear explanation as to why voting has not started,” he said.

 

The PDP flagbearer further alleged that the delay formed part of a broader pattern of intimidation and improper conduct capable of discouraging voter participation and compromising the integrity of the election.

 

The Governorship Candidate of the Accord Party, Opeyemi David Falegan (ODF), exercised his civic right by casting his vote and urged all eligible voters to participate peacefully in the electoral process.

 

Speaking after voting, ODF condemned all forms of vote buying, describing the practice as a threat to democracy and the will of the people.

 

He called on voters to reject any attempt to influence their choices through financial inducements or other illegal means.

 

He also expressed concern over reports of security personnel intimidating voters in some areas, stressing that security agencies must remain neutral and professional throughout the election. According to him, every citizen has the constitutional right to vote freely without fear, harassment, or intimidation.

 

He added that “Democracy can only thrive when elections are free, fair, and conducted without intimidation or manipulation. I call on all stakeholders to uphold the sanctity of the ballot and respect the will of the electorate,” he stated.

State Of The Nation: Minority Caucus Replies Reps Spokesperson

By
James Orji
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Fred Agbedi
Fred Agbedi

Legislature Not ‘Lapdog’ of the Executive, Minority Caucus tells House Spokesman

… Demands apology, threatens to petition Ethics and Privileges Committee

 

The Minority Caucus of the House of Representatives has raised   grave concern with the statement credited to the Chairman, House Committee on Media and Public Affairs, in which he purported to speak for the “House” in response to the legitimate concerns raised by the Minority Caucus on the state of insecurity and worsening hardship in the nation.

 

The Minority Caucus said it is the constitutional duty of Parliament to hold the Executive to account, emphasizing that the current President, while in opposition, rightly declared that _“the buck stops at the President’s table.” That constitutional position has not changed.  Thus, the legislature must never look away when the country bleeds.

The Caucus made the admonition in a statement signed by its spokesman, Afam Victor Ogene, saying it’s the duty of the federal government to ensure that it fulfill all the promises made to Nigerians.

 

According to the lawmakers,  the Executive has repeatedly failed to honour commitments made to the Nigerian people through the Parliament. But rather than demand accountability, the House Spokesman has chosen to defend the indefensible.

 

The Caucus declares, unequivocally, that Parliament is not, and will never be, a lapdog of the Executive.

“We will keep speaking for Nigerians, even if the Majority Caucus elects to capitulate at the altar of blind partisanship, shredding the sacred doctrine of checks and balances, upon which democracy either bleeds or thrives,” the Caucus said.

 

For the avoidance of doubt, the Minority Caucus states as follows:

 

  1. The Minority Caucus views with grave concern the procedural impropriety exhibited by the House Spokesman, which sets a dangerous precedent for parliamentary conduct.

 

  1. The deployment of the phrase – “House Notes”- in his statement is improper, misleading, and constitutes a flagrant breach of the collective privileges of Members. For the record, the last sitting of the House was on Monday, 15th June, 2026. The Minority Caucus addressed the media on Wednesday, 17th June, 2026. No subsequent sitting, meeting, or resolution of the House was convened to authorize a collective position on the matter.

 

  1. While the House Spokesman is at liberty to speak for the Speaker, the House Leadership, or the Majority Caucus, he possesses no mandate to purport to speak for the entire House or to misappropriate the views of the Minority Caucus. Such conduct is a clear violation of established parliamentary procedure and an affront to the rights and privileges of Members of the 10th House of Representatives.

 

  1.  The matters raised by the Minority Caucus fall within the constitutional oversight functions of the National Assembly over the Executive. With numerous spokespersons in the Presidency, it is not the duty of the House Spokesman to embark on an unsolicited defense of the Executive.

 

  1. This conduct reinforces public perception of the 10th House as an appendage of the Executive. Sections 14(2)(b) and 88 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) mandate Parliament to ensure the security and welfare of the people and to expose corruption, inefficiency, and waste. The Minority Caucus will not abdicate this sacred duty.

 

  1. At an emergency virtual meeting held on Friday, 19th June, 2026, the Minority Caucus unanimously resolved as follows:

 

  1.  To demand a public apology from the Chairman, House Committee on Media and Public Affairs, for misrepresenting the position of the House and for contempt of the Minority Caucus. Failure to render such apology within 72 hours will compel the Caucus to petition the House Committee on Ethics and Privileges for appropriate redress.
  2.  To formally raise, upon resumption of plenary, the issue of persistent non-implementation of the National Budget since 2024. The Caucus notes with alarm that defense and security-related Ministries, Departments, and Agencies have recorded less than 30% budget implementation. There is a direct correlation between the non-payment of local contractors, breakdowns of operational logistics, and  escalating insecurity across the country. The Armed Forces can not sustainably prosecute campaigns against heavily-armed insurgents under such fiscal constraints.

 

The Minority Caucus will keep speaking out for Nigerians, as the Constitution demands. That is not partisanship; it is parliamentary duty. The legislature is the soul of democracy because of its sacred responsibility to the people. If the Majority Caucus chooses to forget this, the Minority Caucus will not continue to abdicate this sacred responsibility.

 

 

 

Signed:

 

Hon. Afam Victor Ogene

_For: The Minority Caucus,

House of Representatives, Federal Republic of Nigeria_

Reps Minority Caucus Appoints Ogene As Spokesperson

By
James Orji
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0
Victor Ogene

The Minority Caucus of the House of Representatives has appointed Afam Victor Ogene as Spokesperson of the Caucus. The caucus said the decision was reached at an online meeting of the Caucus held on Friday.

The caucus, in a statement issued by fredrick Agbedi, its Leader described Ogene as a ranking legislator and award-wining journalists who is expected to bring his wealth of experience to the new role, adding that he has a “deep understanding” of parliamentary procedures.

 

“As Spokesperson, Hon. Ogene, an award-winning journalist and editor, will articulate the positions of the Minority Caucus on national issues, ensure effective communication with the Nigerian people, and uphold the Caucus’s constitutional duty of holding the Executive to account. The Caucus is confident that his appointment will strengthen its engagement with citizens and reinforce the principles of checks and balances in the 10th Assembly,” Agbedi said.

 

Adding, “The Minority Caucus urges members of the press and the public to accord Hon. Ogene all necessary cooperation as he discharges this responsibility on behalf of the Caucus.”

“How Appointment As Nigeria’s First Female Petroleum Minister Ruined My Life” – Alison-Madueke

By
Ayodele Oni
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0
Diezani Alison-Madueke appears in Uk Court
Diezani Alison-Madueke.

By Ayodele Oni

 

Former Nigerian Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, has asserted that her position as Nigeria’s first female Petroleum Minister and first female OPEC president made her a target in a male-dominated environment.

 

Alison-Madueke pointed out that the corruption allegations brought against her severely damaged her reputation and integrity, claiming that powerful interests were behind the legal battle she faced.

 

In her first major interview after the conclusion of her court case in the United Kingdom, Alison-Madueke revealed that the accusations against her were particularly painful.

 

She explained that her position as the first female to lead Nigeria’s petroleum ministry and the first female president of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), contributed to her predicament.

 

Alison-Madueke, who served as Nigeria’s petroleum minister between 2010 and 2015 under former President

Goodluck Jonathan, was accused of bribery-related offences in the UK.

 

The case, which lasted about 13 years, involved investigations by the UK National Crime Agency (NCA), in collaboration with Nigerian authorities and other witnesses.

 

She remarked that the prolonged legal process affected her psychologically, adding that losing her freedom had a lasting impact.

 

“When your freedom is taken away from you, no matter how you try to handle it, it has an impact on you psychologically,” she said. Allegations affected years of hard work.

 

The former minister described the accusations as “completely damaging from the beginning”, saying they affected years of hard work that led to her becoming one of Africa’s most prominent female political figures.

 

She said achieving leadership positions in major global institutions was a difficult journey, and the allegations became traumatic.

 

“To be the first female of these institutions and break global ceilings for women, and then to have these accusations against me, was a complete breakdown of my reputation and integrity.”

 

Alison-Madueke stated that her rise to leadership positions was achieved through determination and hard work, adding that the allegations affected her personal and professional image.

 

Alison-Madueke alleged that her attempts to introduce reforms in Nigeria’s oil sector angered influential individuals, whom she referred to as “cabals”.

 

“The things I tried to put in place to fight

 corruption in the oil sector did not go well with the cabals at all,” she said.

 

She maintained that her position as Nigeria’s first female petroleum minister and first female OPEC president made her a target in a male-dominated environment.

 

“I was the first female to enter that kind of position as petroleum minister and as head of OPEC in a very misogynistic society,” she said.

 

When asked who she blamed for the ordeal, Alison-Madueke said responsibility should not be placed on one side alone, urging both Nigerian and UK authorities to examine the processes involved.

 

“I think blame is everywhere. I don’t think one group can take all the blame alone,” she said.

 

She also emphasized that authorities should have spent more time examining the information provided during the investigation before reaching conclusions.

 

Historic rise in Nigeria’s oil sector

Alison-Madueke became Nigeria’s first female Minister of Petroleum Resources in April 2010.

 

Before then, she served as Minister of Transportation in 2007 and later as Minister of Mines and Steel Development in 2008.

 

She became OPEC president in 2014, making history as the first woman to lead the organisation. Her appointment placed her among Africa’s most influential political figures in the energy sector.

When Principle Arrives Late: Examining Senator Kingibe’s Position

By
The Source
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0
Abraham Amah
Abraham Amah

By Abraham Amah

 

Senator Ireti Kingibe’s claim that her signature was forged to facilitate the suspension of fellow senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan raises serious questions about legislative integrity. However, beyond the legal and procedural implications, it also raises concerns about the character and courage expected of public officials entrusted with the confidence of the electorate.

 

If indeed Senator Kingibe’s signature was forged, such an allegation ought to have been raised immediately the document surfaced or at the very moment it was deployed to justify a consequential action such as the suspension of a senator. Silence at a critical moment, followed by public outrage after the fact, inevitably invites scrutiny. Leadership is not merely about speaking when it is convenient; it is about standing up for principle when it matters most, even when doing so may be uncomfortable or politically costly.

 

The Nigerian Senate is not a marketplace of rumours but a constitutional institution whose actions carry profound implications for democracy. Any senator who becomes aware that a document bearing his or her signature has been forged has a duty to promptly alert the Senate, relevant law enforcement agencies, and the Nigerian public. Failure to do so creates the unfortunate impression of acquiescence or indifference until circumstances make a different position politically expedient.

 

Public office demands consistency. Character is measured not only by what one says but by when one says it. The value of a principled objection diminishes when it arrives after the damage has been done and after the political storm has already gathered momentum. Nigerians expect their leaders to demonstrate courage in real time, not retrospective indignation.

Senator Ireti Kingibe
Senator Ireti Kingibe

This is why many observers may view Senator Kingibe’s recent comments as coming rather late in the day. If her allegations are true, then the matter should be thoroughly investigated and those responsible held accountable. However, the timing of her intervention inevitably raises questions about why such a grave concern was not forcefully pursued when the alleged forgery was first used to influence a decision of the Senate.

 

Democracy thrives on transparency, accountability, and timely action. While every public official has the right to clarify his or her position, credibility is strengthened when truth is spoken at the moment it is needed most. In politics, as in life, delayed courage often struggles to command the same respect as courage displayed when the stakes are highest.

Politicisation Worsening Nigeria’s Security Challenges  – Fmr. Head of State, General Abubakar Warns

By
Suleiman Anyalewechi
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0
Abdulsalam Abubakar

By Suleiman Anyalewechi

 

Former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar rtd, has expressed serious concern over the growing level of insecurity in the country.

 

Abubakar decried the tendency for  political actors to seek to construct a political capital from the country’s security challenges.

 

In a statement to commemorate his 84th birthday, Abubakar sued for concerted efforts to defeat the country’s security challenges.

 

While acknowledging the near global nature of insecurity at the moment, the former Nigerian leader who midwifed the current Fourth Republic, insisted that with adequate sacrifices and commitment, insecurity will be defeated.

 

As a former Head of State who has been part of several peacekeeping missions, General Abubakar emphasized the imperative of unity of purpose, and unwavering commitment in the fight against insurgency and other forms of criminalities.

 

While acknowledging the commitment, dedication and sacrifices of security agencies in the fight against insurgency, the former Head of State emphasized the need for all citizens to join hands  to ultimately arrest the situation.

 

“It is clear that the task of attaining this objective (defeating insurgency) must be inclusive.

 

“The armed forces and all other security agencies have been very strong in the fight against terrorism. But this is not their fight alone.

 

“Every citizen has a stake, and it is my plea that Nigerians unite to fight against terror”, he stated.

 

General Abubakar blamed the worsening security challenges, as well as its seemingly intractable nature on politicisation, noting that divisive rhetorics and selfish interests have combined to weaken efforts at addressing the challenge.

 

According to him, politicians over the years have been perceiving the country’s security challenges as political bargaining chips.

 

“Over the years, politicisation of security matters has worsened the situation, and this has brought us to where we are today.

 

“Let us join forces with Government, and security agencies at all levels to defeat these evil ones who do not recognise ethnicity, religion, political party, communal life or other forms of identity.

 

“Propaganda for political and other selfish gains is also giving oxygen to terrorist groups, even as the use of fake news on social media to propagate false narratives has served to encourage terrorists and other criminal groups.

 

“The success of one terrorist group encourages another, and unless we have a rethink, we will continue to promote this crisis”, General Abubakar warned.

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