A former governor of Sokoto State, Alhaji Attahiru Bafarawa has said that Nigeria’s economy was gradually crumbling with devastating effects on the well-being of the citizenry due to rising insecurity in the country.
He said that seeing the solution as a collective efforts rather than security or government business alone would bring a quick and lasting solution to the crisis.
He was speaking on Thursday in Abuja while unveiling the Attahiru Bafarawa Foundation’s proposed “National Security and Peace Development Summit” slated for Kaduna state after the annual Ramadan Fasting.
He lamented that the unending terrorists attacks in northeast, persisted banditry with violent kidnapping and killings in northwest and other parts of the country has not only destroyed socio-economic infrastructures, but has made the regions undesirable destination to investors.
Bafarawa, who is also a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), said the choice of Kaduna was due to the central nature of the state and also being controlled by the APC being another party.
He said that weakened governance structures in the country, apart from affecting economic growth, has also undermined the rule of law and the potential for human development.
He said Nigeria’s security situation has degenerated to the extent that efforts and synergy have to be garnered across party affiliations, hence his foundation’s resolve to provide a platform where both serving and retired security chiefs and other experts would use in preferring workable solutions.
“The security situation, ineffective security governance and social development arrangements undermine Nigeria’s ability to establish and maintain a viable economy that can sustain acceptable levels of well-being for majority of its citizens particularly the young and vulnerable. Weakened governance structures further undermine the rule of law and the potential for human development,” Bafarawa said.
While noting that security agencies had done fairly well in tackling insecurity, he however said the security apparatus in the country need to be repositioned for more effective policing of the public space.
He said, “The forth-coming national security and peace development summit will contribute to the ongoing efforts by both the Federal and state government and community groups to address the recurrent violence. The Attahiru Bafarawa Foundation therefore seeks to reduce involvement of individuals in crimes, instill a culture of law abiding among all citizens and restore public trust in the protective services.”
