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From Fred Ezeh, Abuja
President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Rev. Samson Olasupo, has expressed fear that the 2023 general elections might be truncated due to rising insecurity across the country.
“If insecurity persists unabated, there will be no election in 2023. Politicians move around, campaign and make all manner of promises without taking into cognisance, the security state of the nation. The way things are going now, bandits and other non-state actors might overwhelm us before 2023. They are moving from one level of sophistication and recklessness to another, and unfortunately, our security agents are becoming overwhelmed. There are indications that the intelligence gathering of the bandits seem to be higher than that of the state actors,” said Olasupo.
His position was corroborated by the co-chairman, Interfaith Dialogue Forum for Peace (IDFP), Alhaji Kunle Sanni, who also raised questions about the huge sums spent by government in arms procurement in response to the insecurity across the country.
Both religious leaders spoke in Abuja, at the Inclusive Security Dialogue meeting jointly organised by Global Peace Foundation and Vision Africa as part of efforts boost social cohesion, sustainable peace and security in Nigeria.
They expressed concerns that the political and socioeconomic destiny of Nigeria was nosediving and that there was need to reawaken the consciousness of citizens on the need to make the right electoral choices in next year’s election.
Olasupo suggested that query be issued to the Nigerian Custom Service (NCS) and Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) to explain how firearms were smuggled into the country by unlicensed people.
Co-chairman of IDFP, Sanni, in his remarks, tasked the government to be decisive in tackling banditry and terrorism. He said the government has lost the battle against terrorists, and suggested that they should resign and make way for more competent persons to pilot the affairs of the country.
“Many people have been arrested for crime of kidnapping and banditry over the years, but none has been successfully prosecuted and jailed to serve as deterrent to others nursing the idea of crime.”
President, Vision Africa, Bishop Sunday Onuoha, in his remarks, said Nigeria cannot conduct any meaningful election with the current level of insecurity, poverty and unemployment.
“The circulation of small arms and light weapons is contributing to the security challenge we have today. So, we must de-escalate tension and invest our time in promoting a culture of peace and not that of violence. It has become difficult to travel round the country due to insecurity. Fortified walls and highly mechanised gates no longer protect the elite. Faith leaders and traditional rulers are kidnapped, and some even killed. Our police stations are barely occupied as officers take cover for their lives, because they are ill-equipped to take on, or confront the opposition. What then is the fate of the poor and unprotected man on the streets – no food, no means of income, and no security.”
