Okowa tasks Buhari to tackle insecurity before 2023 general election

As Ozekhome tells Buhari to release Kanu

AWKA, Anambra, Nigeria – Governor of Delta state and the Vice Presidential candidate of the Peoples’ Democratic Party PDP Dr Ifeanyi Okowa has called on the federal government to take proactive measures to tackle banditry, kidnapping and other securities in the country before 2033 election.

Okowa made the statement at the 11the Zik Lectuere series titled ‘Nigeria in the throes of insecurity towards 2023: Any Panecea, held at the Nnamdi Azikiwe University (NAU) Awka Anambra state on Wednesday.

He quoted the Global index report which ranked Nigeria as the 21th most dangerous and terrorised country in the world, noting that the ranking is as a result of the rising insecurity experienced daily in Nigeria.

Okowa therefore, called on government to urgently tackle security challenges across the 36 states and Federal Capital Territory (FCT). He also described Nigeria’s insecurity as hydra headed where killing and maiming have become order of the day .

According to him, separatism, herder and farmers clashes , kidnapping for ransom have taken over the country.

Also delivering the annual Lecture series, Human rights lawyer, Dr Mike Ozekhome SAN called on president Mohammed Buhari to release Mazi Nnamdi Kanu from detention to dust tension in south East.

According to him, ” If the president want to have peace in the country, he must release Nnamdi Kanu from detention. He has become metaphor in the south east”. He said the core problem in the country is marginalisation, none inclusions and injustice. Ozekhome further said that another problem of the country is weak security system both in personnel and equipment.

“The security personnel are poorly and inadequate trained and poorly remunerated . As a result, the expertise needed to counter modern security challenge is not available” he said .

According to him, of serious concern is the commitment of the security personnel to the Nigeria project of ensuring general security. He also stated that there are records of security operatives abandoning their national interest for ethnic consideration.

Ozekhome said that many of the security men have been ambushed and killed by the bandits as results of leaking information to the criminals.