President Bola Tinubu has been lauded for proposing 130,000 National Forest Guards nationwide to weed out terrorists, kidnappers, arms carrying herdsmen and other criminals tormenting Nigerians.
They are expected to man Federal Government’s 1,129 forest reserves. Government mandates each state and the Federal Capital Territory to recruit between 2,000 and 5,000 forest guards, based on their capacity for the purpose of manning forests within their jurisdictions, according to a statement.
In a statement in Lagos, Chief Adesunbo Onitiri, commended government for listening to the yearnings of the people and rising to the occasion. “kidnappers, terrorists, bandits and armed herdsmen have taken over all the forests nationwide, where they committed all forms of criminalities that needed drastic actions by the government.”
But he cautioned that the project must be properly funded and forests Guards adequately remunerated in order not to give room for failure and manipulation.
This, he explained, was necessary in view of the sophisticated weapons at the command of these criminals.
The social critic pointed out that the new armed operatives must work together and in synergy with other security forces to achieve the country’s desired goal.
Onitiri also called for the total review of salaries and remuneration of the Nigeria Police Force and other securitymen, in order to boost their Morales.
The various chiefs and kings in the states where the marauders operate should be considered as critical stakeholders in the security architecture, he advised.
Onitiri urged those behind the insecurity to repent adding: “We have no other country we can call our own. Certainly we cannot afford a failed state.”