A Non-Governmental Organization, ActionAid Nigeria (AAN), has stated that cracking the nation’s current security challenges requires increasing the manpower and welfare of all security agencies and equipping them with modern combat equipment, skills, and training.
This was part of measures recommended by the General Assembly Members of ActionAid Nigeria, after a virtual meeting to review the State of the Nation.
As an organisation working to end poverty, ActionAid Nigeria, during the meeting reviewed developments in government, politics, economy and security during the last quarter, particularly as it affects vulnerable groups; women, children, Persons with Disabilities (PwDs), and the youths.
A statement signed by the Convener, Yusuf Ogwuzebe, at the end of the meeting advised that the Nigerian government must renew the partnership with neighbouring countries to enhance intelligence exchange and information sharing that would help in quelling the insurgency and other sundry crimes.
The general assembly further proposed that “The state-of-the-art combat Tucano and Alpha jets newly acquired must be deployed immediately to help in further neutralizing the criminal elements with precision and bring the protracted insurgency to an end.
“Contemporary hi-tech security management networking as adopted by advanced countries of the world should be embraced.
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They also recommended that for the Nigerian police to be effective in tackling insecurity in the country, the constitution must be amended urgently to allow for states to set up their various police outfits by taking the police off the exclusive legislative list and including same in the concurrent list.
They observed that the growing insecurity has been closely linked to the high rate of poverty in the country and urged government to immediately embrace fiscal federalism, in absolute terms, to check rising public debt, unemployment, inflation and high cost of living.
The assembly also noted with displeasure that Medical Doctors across the country have embarked on strike for the fourth time since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, with some of them complaining they are being owed salaries for several months.
ActionAid called on the Federal and state governments to explore different models to improve the work environment for medical practitioners.
They insisted that health insurance must be made mandatory with sound mechanisms to prevent corruption for universal health care coverage.
“Government must ensure that, there are more funds to upgrade health care infrastructure, clinical equipment and therefore improve the welfare and work climate of medical practitioners to induce job satisfaction.
On the aspect of gender equality, AAN proposes that citizenship at the local level should be defined by residence and not by indigeneity saying “every Nigerian should have the right to reside anywhere in Nigeria and derive the benefits and resources accruable to any member of that society.
The NGO also urged the Nigeria and government to rescind its decision on the Twitter ban as it has had a huge socio-economic impact not only on the lives of emerging young entrepreneurs who depend on the social media for their livelihood, but it is also a counterproductive move for a nation seeking to create more jobs and reduce poverty as part of its post COVID-19 recovery strategy.
