The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) on Tuesday told President Bola Tinubu to make serious investments in security in 2024 without compromising the nation’s sovereignty.
According to the NBA, the Federal Government must ensure that no part of Nigeria should be left under the control of criminal elements by whatever name so called.
While calling on the government to put in place additional measures to address difficulties associated with the subsidy removal, the NBA said with signing of the 2024 N28.7tn budget document earlier approved by the National Assembly, “it is now left for Mr. President to demonstrate to Nigerians that these are not mere rhetoric.”
The President of the NBA, Yakubu Maikyau (SAN), in his New Year statement, released by its National Publicity Secretary, Akorede Habeeb Lawal, also decried the December attacks by bandits on villages in Plateau State, which left about 200 Nigerians dead and the earlier drone strike by the military on Tudun Biri in Kaduna State which claimed the lives of over 100 Nigerians.
The NBA however, acknowledged the commitment by the administration of President Tinubu, to, amongst other things, adopt fiscal measures that would promote domestic production and lessen import dependency, undertake budgetary reforms that would stimulate the economy without engendering inflation and improve on the generation and transmission of electricity.
Maikyau said, “The government at all levels to show demonstrable respect for its social contract with the people of Nigeria by adopting and implementing people-oriented policies and programmes, which align with sustainable development ideals and principles. Government, through our Armed Forces and other security agencies, must ensure that no square inch of the Nigerian territory is left ungoverned; no part of Nigeria should be left under the control of criminal elements by whatever name so called. Government must make deliberate investment in security, of such a scale and magnitude, which will leave Nigerians in no doubt as to the sincerity of the statement made by the President.
“The Federal Government must adopt a holistic approach to the issue of security while not overlooking the peculiarities of each region and design bespoke measures to deal with them. In this wise, the government must neither be “scared” nor “ashamed” to make the right investments in security, in line with global trends in security, without compromising our sovereignty.”
He encouraged the government to deploy radical security and economic policies that would address the increasing case of inequality and instability in the polity and deliberately take steps to build a society that works for all Nigerians.
The NBA advised the President to adopt more radical approaches to cushion the effects of subsidy removal.
“Nigerians need to be reassured that their sacrifices would count for something, and genuine efforts are being made to ensure that their pain and suffering will be short-lived”, Maikyau stated.
The NBA described the Tudun Biri drone strike and killings in Plateau State as inexcusable and unacceptable.
“From information made available by the military and other security sources, the Tudun Biri incident is suggestive of the gap in our security architecture – lack of inter-agency synergy and coordination, while the attack in Plateau is clearly indicative of poor intelligence gathering or, a deliberate failure to act despite the intelligence on the impending attacks on the villages, or notice of the attack on the villages by the bandits, as reported by community leaders”, the NBA emphasized.
Maikyau reiterated that the NBA shall not shirk its responsibility, as the watchdog of the Nigerian people, in holding the government accountable.
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