It is obvious that security issues, like politics, have divisive tendencies that most often becloud the emotions of Nigerians.

Apparently, people like to superimpose their personal opinion on others who are rather not well informed. Information could be tilted towards personal hatred or based on political, religious or ethnic considerations. So, while considering the spate of insecurity in the country, should we not blame Buhari, who is the Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces, for these lapses? Shouldn’t we blame Buhari for the spate of insecurity in many parts of the country?

Should we blame Buhari for non-implementation of security guidelines and policies initiated for the betterment of the general public?

Whenthe Chief of Army Staff appoints a public relations officer who does not know his onions in public and media strategy, thereby  attracting innuendoes to the military, or when  an army’s brigade commander refuses to repel invading terrorists in his area of jurisdiction and, sequel to his nonchalance, members of the public were hunted down, should we blame Buhari? 

It is the same with an Inspector-General of Police who sidelines the Police Act and regulation book and appoints state police commissioners based on either ethnic or religious  sentiment and affiliation. Should there be a national incident of insecurity that claims innocent lives and properties, who should be blamed, the IGP or President Buhari? These scenarios are what have been bedeviling our sense of judgment.

That Buhari is accused of  indebtedness over international borrowing, we should first blame those he appointed to either advise him on monetary issues and those managing the finance of the country before blaming Buhari on whose table the buck-passing stops. Being quick to apportion blame without  proper evaluation could damage one’s integrity.  Blame should be directed first at those on the first line of operation before finally holding the overall boss responsible for such failure. However, Buhari should  be aware that the public voted him and not the IGP nor any of the service chiefs, so all the blames about insecurity in the country stop on his table. This is why  leaders are advised to  be extremely careful when appointing surbordinates as such appointment should be based on competence, discipline and professionalism. It is believed that, a “good leadertakes a little more than his share of the blame, a little less than his share of the credit.”

Buhari has done a lot to improve the lot of security agencies, especially the Big Four (Army, Air Force, Navy and the Nigeria Police) and the National Drug Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), to warrant a thumbs up, not minding the pockets of insecurity experienced around the country. Before apportioning blame, one should consider if these agencies were well equipped like a father who promptly  paid his children’s school fees and provided their books and even employed an extra-lesson teacher. Should the child fail, who should be blamd? The student, teacher, principal or the father?

Here is a President who provided equipment, better and improved remuneration for security agencies, plus recruitment of more officers, yet, the country they are constitutionally supposed to secure is daily being invaded by terrorists from neighbouring countries.

The question, therefore, is who should be blamed? The troops, commanders, Service Chiefs or the Commander-in-Chief?

Record shows that these agencies were well motivated, well funded and well equipped.

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On the other hand is the prompt interventionist step of the IGP ordering the immediate arrest of celebrities who run foul of the law when it affects police personnel; how impressive it would be if the same IGP would order the mobile police squad to immediately be deployed each time the bandits or herdsmen attack innocent citizens; would such a move not be appreciated? Should we blame the president for such nonchalance? Or who should we blame when rural areas are invaded when there are divisional and area police commanders on ground? Yet the IGP announced in Owerri, Imo State, where the police converged for a retreat, that all the police needed to thoroughly protect the country had been provided by the government of President Buhari and specifically applauded the President’s effort, noting that he has provided equipment and changed and provided more than his predecessors for the general needes of the police.

wwThe same can be said of the Navy  that was equipped with 200 riverine patrol boats (RPBs), 114 rigid-hull inflatable boats (RHIBs), two Seaward Defence Boats (SDBs), 12 Manta Class/Inshore Patrol Craft (IPC), three Whaler boats, four barges/tugboats, 22  Fast Attack Boats, 14 Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), four helicopters, 14 River Town Class, 14 House Boats and four Capital ships. So, who should then be held responsible for criminal activities around our waterways?

Also, should the same question be extended to the Army, which was equipped with hundreds of new equipment, including VT-4 Main Battle Tanks, STI Light Tanks, SH2 & SH5 Artillery Platforms, MRAPs, ARRV and Mine Sweepers, Infantry Fighting Vehicles, Self-Propelled Howitzers, Armored Fighting Vehicles, Mountain Climber Bikes, and many others. Most recently, in 2023, the Nigerian military acquired 700 brand-new Troseop-Carrying Vehicles, all assembled in Nigeria.

Definitely, the Army has performed well and Nigerians would happily join the President to say, “Well  done our faithful servant warriors”.w

Impressively, there are security agencies that had performed excellently well without much prompting like NDLEA, civil defense, the Customs and EFCC.

It has been observed by security analysts that some of the contributing factors to criminality include gross unemployment that is obtainable in the country since the inception of the Buhari administration, rising cost of living, illegal importation of illicit hard drugs and  proliferation of illegal firearms.

A  former Head of State, Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar (retd), had raised the alarm over the proliferation of weapons in the country, saying an estimated six million firearms were circulating illegally.

Added to this is the report of the  National Bureau of Statistics, which recorded an increase in the national unemployment rate from 23.1 per cent in 2018 to 33.3 per cent in 2020: “We estimate that this rate will increase to 37.7 per cent in 2022 and will rise further to 40.6 per cent in 2023.”

Apparently, the eight years of President Buahri’s administration further impoverished Nigerians sequel to aggravated insecurity that had been allowed to pervade both the economic and social life of the people. More important is the lack of willpower to decisively  deal with leaders found wanting.

(Concluded)