A Civil Society Group has advocated fashioning out of a comprehensive National Homeland Security Strategy to prevent counter productivity of security outfits created by States and Local Governments,
The National Coordinator of Network for Democracy and Development, NDD, Mr. Tajudeen Alabede who made the call in a maiden Virtual Press Conference of the group on the state of the nation said the pragmatic National Homeland Security Strategy would ensure devolution of more responsibilities to States, strengthening of community policing and help achieve greater national security in a well-regulated environment.
Mr. Alabede lauded the coordinated efforts of the federal and affected States that led to the release of the abducted students of
Government Science Secondary School, Kankara, Katsina State and pleaded that such feat should be recorded to secure the release of Leah Sharibu, the only remaining girl from among the abducted students of Dapchi, and the remaining Chibok girls who are still held captive by Boko Haram.
The group decried the plans by educational institutions across the country to resume academic activities without adequate safety measures to contain the devastating impacts of the second wave of COVID-19.
He noted that for almost a year that the country has been battling with COVID-19, the nation is yet to take advantage of the pandemic and its attendant negative effects to radically overhaul the affected sectors, especially, education, health and agriculture, with a view to bringing them in compliance with the new realities.
On the state of the economy, NDD recommended that the renewal of licences of DISCOs and GENCOs should be based on performance while the government should look inward to generate power from other renewable energies that are cheaper and more readily available .
The group also frowned at multiple taxation which continued to affect small scale businesses and called for more holistic way of harmonizing taxation in the country.
NDD applauded the social investment programmes of the Federal Government but called for greater transparency as Nigerians who were covered by the programme should have been issued with a national social security number.
Mr. Alabede said the on-going process of verification of citizens’ National Identification Numbers should be used by the Federal Government to move Nigeria towards the emergence of a unified National Identity system.
NDD noted that one of the ways by which Nigeria could have truly independent and viable political parties is through compulsory financial contribution by party members and hammered on the need for a more transparent and credible leadership selection process that is not susceptible to brazen manipulation and hijack by money bags in political parties.
Mr. Alabede also called for categorization of political parties in the country to national, local or issue-focused .
The group called for review of the provision in the constitution which placed School Certificate as the educational qualification for election into political offices stressing that the minimum should be first degree or its equivalent.
The group worried that many Nigerians still cared more about having
their own people in positions of authority than having the right people who could deliver on the mandate of such offices while religion and ethnicity still defined the country’s politics.
Ridwan Fasasi
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