Insecurity: “Riba?u not man for the job” – Experts

…As bandits overwhelm security agencies

Stakeholders have blamed the Bola Ahmed Tinubu adminis­tration for its apparent lack of an effective security framework and coordination under Nuhu Riba?u as National Security Adviser, (NSA), in the wake of the rising wave of terror and banditry, especially kidnapping, in the country.

Riba?u, former Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), it would be recalled, was first named the President’s Security Adviser before he was elevated to the position of NSA during the formation of Tinubu’s cabinet.

As the National Security Ad­viser, all the Heads of the Armed Forces, including the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) and Director of the Department of State Ser­vice (DSS), are supposed to report to Ribadu, who should advise the President on appropriate mea­sures to take at every turn.

Curiously, the Director-Gen­eral of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Ahmed Rufa’i Abubakar, on Saturday, tendered his resignation to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

The 2015 presidential candidate of the National Conscience Party (NCP), Chief Martin Onovo, expressing his view to newsmen on the issue, said the position of NSA should be for a top national secu­rity professional. According to Onovo, whi is the current Head, Policy Positions, Move­ment for Fundamental Change, (MFC): “Riba?u is principally a partisan pol­itician. He was a presidential candi­date in Tinubu’s ACN and some political pundits have claimed he is still nursing a presidential ambition.

“The basic consideration for a partisan politician is political advantage. That can obscure and deform the judgment of a Nation­al Security Adviser. Many analysts had criticised the appointment of Nuhu Riba?u as NSA; they were right. A partisan politician should not be appoint­ed as NSA”.

“Also, the political and pro­fessionally poor performance of Riba?u in the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) makes it inappropriate to appoint him as NSA. Recall, as EFCC Chairman while Tinubu was governor, Riba?u had said, ‘Tinubu and the rest … They cannot escape. It is a matter of time. ..After their tenure, they will be prosecuted. They remain indicted and are not fit to hold public positions’. Thereafter, he went to be­come presidential candidate in Tinubu’s ACN and today, he is serving Tinubu as NSA; the same Tinubu he indicted. That is an indication of the character of a person.

“The NSA must be a con­summate professional that con­sistently makes strictly profes­sional security assessments and plans, not a partisan politician that is desperate for political ad­vantage. Therefore, the rise in terror­ism, banditry, and kidnapping since the inception of the present government is not a surprise to us as Nuhu Riba?u is not a good candidate for the position.

“He may be more focused on his partisan political advantage than on national security. He may be experi­enced in the area of investigating and bringing fraudsters, armed robbers, etc, to book. I do not think he has the nec­essary expertise to be the NSA, or coordinate the operations of the armed forces, para-military organisations, and the Nigeria Police in combating the activi­ties of terrorists, bandits, kid­nappers, etc.”.

According to a cleric and security expert, and Executive Director, Kingdom Advocacy Net­work (KAN), Dr. Victor Mathew, stated that, “This pres­ent government and its appoin­tees from my assessment, has not lived up to expectation at all. Many Nigerians were op­posed to the appointment of Nuhu Riba?u as the NSA consid­ering the enormity of the securi­ty challenges facing the nation. So far, he has not justified his occupation of that office and those who opposed his appoint­ment are now vindicated”.

According to him, “Riba?u is a politician, and such a sensitive position should not be given to a politician, but a thoroughbred professional with no political leanings. As a security practitioner, I am alarmed and disturbed with the rise in terrorism and other violent crimes, while there is no strategic counter-response and measures to combat this rise. Nigeria is so terrorised; bandits are having a field day and kidnapping is now a new normal.

“Constitutionally, the primary purpose of government is secu­rity and welfare of citizens; but with the figures escalating, the government is falling woefully in that regard. Terrorism, banditry and kidnapping is now a booming ‘in­dustry’ in Nigeria. Nigerians are killed anyhow on a daily basis. Non-State actors now dictate what happens to citizens; the peo­ple are helpless and hopeless.

“So, my assessment of the NSA is a scorecard of colossal failure, just like the Government he is part of”.

Also, an economist and cleric, Bishop Herbert Ekechukwu, on his part, said rather than dwelling on the position of the NSA, advised on how to curb insecurity in the country. According to him, “The surge in kidnapping, insecurity, bandit­ry, etc, is of great concern to every observing citizen of Nigeria. This demands immediate attention and far-reaching strat­egies to curb immediate and fu­ture occurrence. There is an urgent need for security reforms by creating community policing to enhance efficiency and effectiveness of security agencies”.

“A hungry man is an angry man, hence, there is a need to promote job empowerment and poverty alleviation, as well as creating economic development and social progress. There is a need to strengthen border security and prevent the influx of illegal weapons, crimi­nals and terrorists”, he stressed.