OGHENETEJIRI NYERHOVWO
The security apparatus in the country has crumbled with negative impacts as telltale signs just as government should take urgent steps to involve core professionals to salvage it.
This was disclosed by Olorogun Kenneth Gbagi, a one time Minister of State for Education, a criminologist and a frontline governorship aspirant for Delta State come 2023 under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) while hosting members of the Delta State Online Publisher’s Forum (DOPF) at his country home in Oginibo, Ughelli South Local Government Area.
Olorogun Gbagi said that there is the need for an emergency declaration to salvage the situation
Olorogun Gbagi said there is deception between the government and stakeholders in the nation’s security apparatus.
adding that there must be an agreement and the political will on the part of the people and stakeholders to end the insecurity that is fast taking over the nation “so that we all can go back to our usual way of life.”
According to Olorogun Gbagi, “Nigeria as it is today is a misnomer. There is need for a state of emergency on security in Nigeria. Security personnel are supposed to take orders from state governors. But where we are now is a situation where they all take instructions from a central command. That means the governors cannot be held accountable for the wrongs with regards to security in their states.”
The business mogul cum top politician insisted that the situation in Nigeria at the moment demands the National Assembly to urgently amend the Constitution of the country with regards to organisation of the nation’s security apparatus if the nation will make progress in solving the prevalent problem of insecurity in Nigeria.
Olorogun Gbagi added, “the kind of government we practice before now had the interest of the nation at heart but where the interest of the nation is not what we are pursuing. We must go back to the drawing board. We must go back to discuss where we are and how we want to collectively get out of this mess.”
He spoke further, ” the situation has rapidly grown out of control. Why are we paying salaries to security agents when the main purpose of their engagement has been outlived. The purpose of paying their salaries has failed and this calls for emergency. They are paid to protect the people and territorial integrity of the nation, but they seemed to have failed , the security situation is pathetic now.”
Olorogun Gbagi noted, ” without security, there will be no investment. And once there is no investment, hunger will take over the land. Robbery, stealing, kidnapping and all other forms of criminality will increase. Look, a lot of people who are criminals today do not plan to become criminals. Circumstances beyond their control forced them into criminality.”
He further posited, “”it will continue and get worse. The country our fathers left behind is not the country we are today. There is need for a state of emergency in Nigeria security system. Nigeria will not be a nation if we do not change the narratives.”
Responding to a question on grazing which is leading to clashes between farmers and Fulani herdsmen, Olorogun Gbagi said cattle rearing is a private business, noting that Nigerian Government has nothing to do with grazing, adding, ” how does my personal business concern government? How I sell it, how it gets from one place to another is not the business of government. That is their chosen line of business. grazing must be treated as such.”
He further added, selling of cows is not the business of government, unless government wants to tell us that they have acquired all the cows in Nigeria. Some of these things have come to be because of the way we have handled them.”
Although he blamed the security agencies for not carrying out their responsibility to Nigerians, he, however agreed that security personnel are not well remunerated so as to encourage them to put in their best, saying, the policeman that has not eaten well will run away when a daredevil robber with a more sophisticated weapons advances towards him.
He noted that there is low morale among the security personnel.
Olorogun Gbagi, who commended Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta state for his proactive measures against insecurity in the state and his infrastructural development, said “the way we have toyed with a lot of things in Nigeria and we are still surviving, we should not attempt such with security.
He said: “those mercenaries coming in have their own targets, interest, and objectives and unless we deal with it headlong it will be unfortunate for Nigeria. As it is now, we don’t know who to hold responsible, all the security apparatus and the stakeholders have failed.
