Reflections on security in our polity
Anytime I reflect on the security situation within the country, I doff my hat for those men and women who have displayed patriotism by fighting gallantly to keep Nigerians safe in the hands of evil doers. We must appreciate our men and women in the security sector of the nation who have willingly signed to defend our nation’s territorial integrity from the land, sea, and air. In broad terms, the security sector consists of all those protecting Nigerians in all the 774 local government areas within the country, such as the military, police, intelligence services, and the civilian structures responsible for their oversight and control. If you have not served in the military, and none of your close relatives is either serving or have served in any institution in the security sector, you may not appreciate these folks for their selfless sacrifice of protecting our lives and properties.
Serving in the nation’s military demands honour, courage and commitment. You need to have what it takes to serve in the military or any paramilitary service. You must equally be ready to lead and be led, you must take orders from constituted authorities, and be prepared to be a team player. Above all, you must be loyal, patriotic and radiate love for your country. The military like any other profession is noble. Nigeria’s military is undoubtedly the largest in the West African Sub-region in terms of size and equipment holding. The capacity is largely determined by the nation’s threat (internal and external), as well as economic and political outlooks.
Security in its simplest meaning suggests “safety and survival,” and when the word “national” is conveniently applied to it, the connotation suddenly assumes a vital but serious dimension. Looking at the discipline of strategy, national security is a key component and an essential constant in any given polity. Any issue, be it unemployment, poor health facility and weak education infrastructure, epileptic power supply, non-payment of salaries and pensions of workers, inadequate food supply, and weak transportation system, amongst others, in the area of policy impact negatively on the society and therefore becomes an object that could constitute a threat to the survival of the polity.
Threats to national security are numerous: Boko Haram in the North East, Badoo in Lagos, kidnapping and Fulani herdsmen attack in almost all geopolitical zones of Nigeria, armed robbery, and cultism amongst others, compromise safety of lives and properties. The Nigeria Police Force cannot cope with these security challenges, that is why the military is engaged in internal security operations in 28 out of 36 states of the nation, as reported recently. Do we applaud or blame the military and other security agencies when safety of lives and properties are compromised? Yes, we need to appreciate men and women in the security sector notwithstanding the few bad ones amongst them.
Nigerians should acknowledge that the Nigerian Armed Forces and other security agencies have been playing a significant role in internal security, and they are principally committed to the nation’s unity. I am positive that Nigerians are not expecting a military dominated by “saints” in a nation whose value system is significantly eroded by corruption. It would be a herculean task divorcing the military as an institution from the larger Nigerian society. It is not only civilians that have blood flowing through them, those military guys have blood moving through their arteries.
With a volatile polity, and bearing in mind our historical, political and cultural experiences, one wonders how the nation has not been able to have a system that would adequately shield the citizenry from numerous security challenges. Why have we not at best protected the people adequately through sound policies and implementation strategies from the vagaries of disorder, conflict, confrontation, and hatred.
From my modest understanding of geopolitics, no nation is strong and prosperous where the entire leadership- executive, legislature, and judiciary could not agree on the position, influence, power, roles and responsibilities of the country in the international setting. Additionally, no nation is secured and stable where the policies of government could not ensure to a large degree: Harmony, cooperation, integration, and togetherness of the different contending legitimate forces of the polity.
No nation could survive from the onslaughts of religious racism, ethnic rivalry, political brigandage, hatred, and lawlessness from different parts of the society. Why then do individuals or groups think and resonate songs of cessation or breakup of the federation? Although, power belongs to the people in a democracy, no nation is strong and successful when most of its citizens constitute a threat to national security. Lastly, no nation is at peace either in a democratic or dictatorial setting where major constituents’ parts-elites, traditional institutions, military, political class, academics, and business community, treat national security with levity.
We must admit that for several years the nation has not paid much attention to the above classical diagnosis. At the slightest opportunity, the authority has treated national security matters with levity and disturbing recklessness for many years. If this was not true, how did the nation’s security degenerate to a level where almost all the states are having security challenges? Yet, Nigeria has in its pool some of the best professionals, diplomats, politicians, and soldiers amongst others that should conveniently be at the vanguard of our national prosperity.
When those in authority are exonerated from wrongful conducts, the citizens are immersed in virtually all manner of illegalities in offices, churches, mosques, colleges, universities, board rooms, and in the families, which give rise to insecurity, instability, ridicule and gradual destruction of the nation.
When about 120 million people are classified as poor in a nation, the political leadership, should eschew their political differences, harness their potentials, demonstrate restraints, and cautiously fight for the common good of the people and survival of the nation. This is imperative as policy actions which takes its root in “a sea of confusion” will be completely counterproductive, ruinous and misleading. Consequently, the quantum of implementation strategies faces a shipwreck.
If the nation is to be prosperous, those in authority need to treat issues of national security with precision and strategic decision so that followers are not induced to tactically become agents of insecurity or fifth columnists in our society. I strongly believe that it is in the interest of Nigeria to have the peace and togetherness of our people strengthened. Our soldiers should shun any form of distraction and keep their heads up. “God gives His hardest battles to His strongest soldiers.”
MA JOHNSON