The Coalition for A Better Nigeria has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to step up efforts to secure the country and revamp the economy.
It noted that the theme of the President’s electioneering campaign in 2015 and 2019 was security, economy and anti-corruption, but that Nigerians had become dissatisfied with his best.
In a statement to mark the New Year, the coalition advised the President to double efforts “as from 2021 in order to meet the yearnings and expectations of the masses more than before”.
It noted that security had been a serious challenge for over a decade, with no government, including the current administration, able to tackle it well.
The coalition said: “For instance, the Boko Haram insurgency sprang up in 2009 while kidnappings, killings, maiming, farmers and Fulani herdsmen crisis became rampant since the advent of this democracy and, regrettably, rather than nipping these in the bud by the successful administrations before now, they all seemed to become powerless on ascension to power and all these vices are on the increase year in, year out, until power changed hands, which always led to a renewed hope of victory in the new government.”
According to the group, the Amnesty programme for repented terrorists appeared to be giving more attention to the aggressors over their victims.
It stated: “Some of the major reasons given for this ugly scenario are as follows: We are yet to witness conviction of any major criminal, but we are seeing the kind of amnesty the Federal Government is giving to the repented members of Boko Haram sect and this will continue to serve as an encouragement for others that are involved in the crime. How can we now expect drastic fall in the trend?
“Amnesty should be modified in such a way that living victims are promoted and celebrated while capital punishment is meted out to convicted assassins, kidnappers, armed robbers, herdsmen, Boko Haram members, bandits and hoodlums.
“There is possibility that people in the position of authority, even within the military circle, are the accomplices, and yet, we expect miracle overnight.
“They have sophisticated foreign ammunitions and the Federal Government always encounters barriers in its several attempts to buy similar or more sophisticated weapons from world powers, according to the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed. And we think there won’t be cause and effect, in terms of taking longer time than expected to square them up on the field?”
To solve the insecurity debacle, the coalition said “community, regional and state policing must be adequately encouraged by the Federal Government for it to have rest of mind at the centre while overseeing a vast landmass”.
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