Nigeria Is fast sliding into ANARCHY-The Sun MD

Nigeria Is fast sliding into ANARCHY-The Sun MD

Managing Director of The Sun Publishing Limited, Mr. Eric Osagie, yesterday, expressed worry over over what he described as the nation’s fast slide into anarchy. He advised that something urgent should be done to remedy the situation.

Osagie made the call in Lagos at a summit organised by African Youths Initiative on Crime Prevention (AYICRIP), with the theme: “Securing our lives, community and country through prevention mechanism.”

The managing director, who was represented by the company’s General Manager, Marketing, Mrs. Neta Nwosu noted that the theme of the programme was timely and apt, adding that the summit would help Nigeria address her worrisome problems of insecurity.

“We all need to join hands to ensure a safer Nigeria,” he said, and stressed that “prevention is better than cure.

“The state of insecurity in Nigeria is highly worrisome. No week passes without reports of unknown gunmen killing people on the streets. No week passes without bomb blasts killing people.

“The Federal Government is spending heavily on the military and other security agencies in the name of curbing insecurity, yet, the situation requires urgent solution.

“It is shocking that our police stations have become targets of these gunmen and they get away undetected. In broad daylight, crimes are perpetrated with the assailants proving difficult to be found.

“The future of this country is at stake. If nothing is done to bring the life-threatening situation under control, it will give room to anarchy. The recurring, heartless killings in Northern Nigeria, especially in Borno State, rampant kidnappings and the latest form of terrorism by Fulani herdsmen are big threats to the corporate existence of this country.

“There is an urgent need to begin to apply the preventive measures against crime. It is everyone’s business,” he stated.

Osagie said AYICRIP’s crime prevention initiative would help secure lives, communities and the country at large.

He commended the youths for taking it upon themselves to embark on the crusade for identification and implementation of preventive mechanisms to reduce crime rate in the country.

Founder and Executive Director of AYICRIP, Mr. Chris Ibe told the gathering that the issue of insecurity in Nigeria did not require pulling of crowd to deliberate on it, rather, “every individual with a strong commitment should contribute his or her quota.”

Ibe called on governments, at all levels, to adopt proactive measures in addressing security challenges, and expressed the belief that it was cheaper and more result-oriented to pursue and implement.

On his part, Chairman of Police Service Commission and former Inspector General of Police, Sir Mike Mbama Okiro said “Nigeria is at a crossroads occasioned by the debilitating effects of global economic meltdown.”

In his paper: “Nigeria and the fight against crime; Role of mentorship and good leadership skills,” delivered by AIG Bala Hassan, he pointed out that it was obvious the present hard times result in criminal activities, as the struggle for scarce resources available has become dangerously vicious.

He concurred with Osagie and observed that Nigeria seemed to be dangerously sliding into a country of “anything can happen,” where national ethos and morals have gone upside down.

-Job Osazuwa (Sun)