The North Central Development Initiative (NCDI), has urged the President Bola Tinubu-led government to consider the establishment of a National Intelligence Service (NIS), to counter insecurity.
Comrade Musa Ali Otigba, Director General/National Coordinator, NCDI, said NIS would be the agency charged with the responsibility of providing intelligence to counter threats to Nigeria’ internal security.
Otigba spoke Saturday in Abuja during the inauguration of the initiative’s nine standing committee, expected to pilot its affairs for the year 2024.
He specifically said a separate internal intelligence agency is one of the ways to effectively curb the current insecurity in the country.
He said: “Insecurity has become a recurring phenomenon that threatens the well-being of Nigeria citizens. From the south west, to the north central, and from the north east, to the south east, nowhere is safe.
“While I commend the efforts of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led federal government, particularly, the security agencies in their relentless efforts towards making Nigeria a safe place, it is my considered opinion that the government needs to adopt more strategies and introduce more ideas on intelligence gathering that will provide the security agencies with the knowledge about what the enemy may be doing or is going to do in the future.
“Towards this end, I will recommend that the government do consider the establishment of a National Intelligence Service (NIS), that will be purely a disciplined civilian agency, and charged with the responsibility of providing intelligence to counter threats to Nigeria’ internal security, while the current National Intelligence Agency (NIA), should be left only with the responsibility of overseeing foreign intelligence and counterintelligence operations to counter foreign threats.
“By so doing, Nigerians will now know which agency to hold responsible when there is failure intelligence gathering, or commend when there is success in intelligence, as against what we have today where the military, police, DSS, and even Civil defense, all claims to be involved in intelligence gathering thereby making the job look like a jack of all trades and master of none.
“In my opinion, a separate internal intelligence agency is one of the ways to effectively curb the current insecurity in Nigeria. Countries like Botswana, Rwanda and Kenya, did it and they were able to achieve tremendous successes in recording peace and security in their countries.”
On how to tackle the developmental challenges facing the North Central region, he recommended the establishment of the North Central Development Commission (NCDC).
“I call on the citizens of north central states, and our representatives at both chambers of the national assembly, to come together and support the agitation for the establishment of North Central Development Commission,” he said.
Barnabas Ojiah Adeku, Eyize of Ebiraland, said: “I’m glad that an initiative of this nature is happening at this time. I’m not happy because that’s where I come from. I’m equally sad because as a farmer, I can’t farm again because of insecurity. If we can restore security in our land, our youths will go back to the farm.”
Ali Abare, Special Assistant on Media to Nasarawa State governor, expressed hope that the North Central would develop.
