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Abdulsalami Seeks Security Reforms
•Says life is becoming more brutish From Funmi Peter-Omale in Jos, 11.29.2004
Former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar (rtd), has called for reforms in the country's security agencies so Nigerians could enjoy the full benefits of democracy. Delivering the Silver Jubilee lecture of the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, Kuru, Jos, weekend, Abdulsalami said, "Life is simply becoming more brutish... because many of our security agencies have not changed in their ways of doing things." Speaking on "The Challenges of Security in a Democratic Nigeria", the former military leader noted, "Perhaps it is asking too much for security agencies to change when the power structures that produced them have not substantially changed. Very little has also been done to retrain and reorient them away from authoritarianism to people-friendly democratic national security agencies." Abdulsalami said that reforms in the security system were necessary and urgent because the expanded political space that democracy has created after several years of military rule has thrown up competing and conflicting issues. "For security system to be effective, it must be dynamic, constantly evaluating the situation and adapting to changing threats. Security sector reform is a constant challenge, especially because, generally, government bureaucracies do not like change, and worse when it involves the security sector," he added. While noting that the Nigerian Armed Forces must be alive to their constitutional responsibilities, he affirmed that these must be in pursuit of national interest, operating under the democratic structures laid down by the constitution. "Equally, the police and other security agencies must also address specific problems and failures identified with respective agencies and focus on preventing and combating crimes and other forms of social conflicts that are threats to national security," he said. He enjoined all security agencies to collectively embrace the spirit of inter-agency cooperation involving the exchange of information, strategies and other forms of collaboration that can lead to overall efficiency in the prevention of crimes, violence and conflicts, and the protection of national security. "We must work to ensure that the present democratic journey we embarked on in 1999 is not stalled. That means we must seek to properly understand the dynamics within the military in the first place, that had tended to produce coups," he added. He enumerated the major security problems currently confronting the nation and threatening democracy to include political and electioneering conflicts, socio-economic agitations, ethno-religious crises, ethnic militias, boundary disputes, cultism, criminality and organised crimes. Specifically, the former head of state lamented that electoral fraud poses a major challenge to democracy and security of the nation. Electoral fraud desecrates the sanctity of democracy and weakens its capacity as an instrument for the mobilisation of national, human and material resources for the development of the people and the state. He bemoaned recent security breaches in some states of the federation occasioned by political intolerance. "In recent times, especially during the present democratic dispensation, traits of similar intolerant and ruthless contest for political office have manifested. In addition, the use of illegal arms and weapons by political party contestants and their supporters has assumed very alarming dimension." Abdulsalami noted that states currently experiencing various forms of security breaches and violence involving groups were allegedly armed by political party contestants during the 2003 elections. While calling on all political players and institutions to embrace the principles of true democracy, he urged government to evolve relevant constitutional and legislative mechanisms to address areas and issues that will promote open, free and fair competition among all the political parties. On the ethnic militias, he said that the goals and activities of the militias are clearly against national interest and security. "The proliferation of militant groups (such as OPC, Egbesu, Bakassi, Ijaw youths) has increased the rate of violent disturbances, arson, and killings in many parts of the country. These conflicts and violence have threatened legitimate social and economic activities of the people. There is a challenge for policy makers and implementers at local, state and national levels to explore ways of effectively tackling these militias problems by addressing the root causes and using constitutional and legal mechanisms to combat their proliferation,” he said.
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