The year 2022 has been greeted with great excitement by Nigerians in different strata of society. It is a year that they regard as full of opportunities for national development.
Phenomenal as the year preceding that of the general elections hence full of political activities, keeping the peace and security is crucial. This is the crux of the New Year goodwill message of the President of National Association of Online Security News Publishers (NAOSNP), Oki Samson to all Nigerians.
In his message, Mr. Oki demands that the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Pres. Muhammadu Buhari GCFR ensure the security of lives and properties in the New Year. He said. ‘The primary role of government in a society is security. I am charging President Buhari GCFR whom the citizens have given the mandate to be the President and leader to ensure security. The
government should sit up and address the issue of insecurity across the country. We cannot continue to allow our citizens to die like chicken. The citizens believe so much in him as a war general to keep the peace.
They elected him not once but twice because of his track record of achievements as a fine officer of international repute. This tense insecurity situation should not continue under his watch especially as he rounds up his administration as a democrat.’
‘President Buhari should not tarnish his good image. Nigerians love him. It is this mindset that made them vote for him massively. He should address insecurity and deal with the people behind it.’
To the state governors, he added: ‘I call on state governors, you are the Chief Security Officer of your states. When things happen, we hear ‘we will investigate, we will investigate’, till date no outcome of investigation. Yet security issues are emerging everyday in all states. Your role is to provide security.’
The NAOSNP President who doubles as Publisher of Trek Africa Newspaper called on the Chief of Army Staff, COAS Farouk Yahaya, the Inspector General of Police, IGP Usman Alkali Baba, the Commandant General of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Dr. Ahmed Abubakar Audi and heads of security agencies to name and shame bad eggs hiding in their forces. In his message, he charged them that the days of shielding bad are over. ‘I call on the IGP Alkali Usman Baba, COAS Farouk Yahaya and other leaders to take up responsibility and call their men to order especially when they themselves are giving their best. There are some bad eggs in your force that are messing up your good image.’
‘It is high time that the IGP Alkali Usman Baba, COAS Farouk Yahaya, and other leaders redeem the image of their respective agencies by sanitising the system. When any officer is found involved in this shameful acts and public disgrace, name and shame them immediately. That’s the way to go. Enough of shielding them. For example, the issue of the drunk policeman who killed a 16-year-old girl in Itire-Ikate, Lagos, the Police deleted the identity of that man on Facebook and when the Nigerian media requested for the pictures of the officer, they didn’t release it. That must not continue.’
‘When any officer commits a blunder, you should name and shame him. By so doing, it will reduce the atrocities of our officers. When you carry gun and wear uniforms, you are not better than the average citizens, you are just privileged to be in that position. What you are meant to do is to be a protector agent not a killer agent.’
‘There is need for reorientation of our officers across board. Citizens should not see them and be afraid rather they should be happy. You are not meant to brutalize but to keep the peace. Security agencies are not created to harass citizens but to protect citizens. I recall the incident of a military officer who dealt blows and kicked a lady out of a bus in Maryland, Lagos. The driver cannot talk. Other passengers cannot talk. Yet, the bus moved on like that with the officer because he carried arms bought by taxpayers money for him.’
‘Our officers really need reorientation in this New Year. This is why many citizens see them as enemies which is not supposed to be. The uniformed officers need the civil population to succeed. They need public confidence.’
On a final note, ‘2022 should be a prosperous year for all Nigerians but security must be guaranteed. We want a 2022 in which everyone can prosper. Food security is a serious national issue because farmers cannot get to their farmland to till the land because of insecurity. People can’t travel for their businesses and families because of insecurity and not everyone can afford air travel. This is causing businesses to collapse, families to divide, and poverty.’
‘All hands must be on deck for national development which has its foundation in security. 2022 is a wake up call for national security’, the National President of NAOSNP concluded in his 2022 goodwill message.
