(http://www.thenationonlineng.net/2011/thumbnail.php?file=Dakuku_443632672.jpg&size=article_medium) •Dakuku Peterside
Dakuku Peterside is Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on (Downtream) Petroleum. In this piece, he argues that if governments at all levels take development, intelligence gathering and others serious, insecurity in the country will be largely curtailed
The writings of Johann Von Goethe, German playwright and philosopher always fascinate me. “Knowing is not enough, we must apply. Willing is not enough, we must do”. Goethe wrote these immortal words in the 18th century, but its relevance in today’s world is incontrovertible.
The underlining point here is that it is not just enough to know or to resolve, action is as important.
Goethe’s words came to my mind as I reflected on the security situation in Nigeria which has overtime, moved from bad to worse. And daily, I ask myself: have we done our best in our efforts at tackling the threat insecurity poses?
This is indeed a trying period for Nigeria. And Nigerians are in agreement that something must be done urgently to save the country. Security, law and order are the major preoccupation of any Government. Once a government gets this priority right, it has made the very first right step. Growing insecurity on the reverse side is the first sign of a failing state. Going by recent developments in our country this appears to be the direction we may inevitably head and as always, the consequences are dire. Of course, development will be stalled and we will be isolated. Signs of growing insecurity abound at government circles, offices, leisure centres and even places of worship. Only recently, this threat of insecurity attracted the attention of the upper legislative arm. The Senate had warned that except the executive took a drastic step against Boko Haram, the country risked disintegration. A popular cliché says: “if you do the same thing over and over again and expect a different result that is insanity.” Whatever we decide as a people, the choice is ours. After all, “knowing is not enough, we must apply. Willing is not enough we must do”.
Today, Nigeria faces her greatest security challenge ever. Apart from the menace of armed robbers, which is widespread, we also worry about the threat of Boko Haram and its attendant collateral damage on Nigeria and her people. With the arrival of Boko Haram, Nigeria lost her innocence and effectively joined those isolated countries that carry that revolting tag of being referred to as terrorist states. But this is misleading and unfortunate because as far as I am concerned, Nigeria is not a terrorist country. Yet our position that we are not a terrorist state does not seem to impress western powers as they had only recently issued travel alerts to their nationals whether visiting or residing here.
Often, we all ask: how did we get here? I am afraid if we continue this way, there may be little or nothing left to bequeath to the next generation. I still admire the robust politics of post independent Nigeria, the healthy rivalry among the regions and the excellent bearing and leadership qualities of the drivers of that era, I mean our founding fathers.
Where then is that spirit of healthy competition today? And where is the peace and development we all sought and hoped for at the dawn of independence? These are questions we always ask ourselves anytime we unconsciously become too romantic of the late 1950s and early 1960s. Why are we no longer interested in replicating the good in our neighbour whether it is in the area of manufacturing, policy formulation and implementation, protection of human rights, provision of welfare services, good governance or in the fight against violent crimes which is on the rise?
In 1959, the Western Nigerian Television, WNTV was established in Ibadan by the then premier of Western Region, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, becoming the first television station in black Africa. Less than two years after, the Eastern region followed with its own television station in Enugu, its capital. Awolowo’s programmes in other areas were also replicated by other regions. All of these are absent in today’s Nigeria. The good news though is that not all our leaders are throwing up their hands in surrender. For one, I think the Rivers State example is one all of us could actually profit from. It is on record that within 30 days of assuming office, Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi reversed the prevailing anarchy and state of insecurity in the Rivers State.
And with the state government’s vigorous vision on security, the state has witnessed drastic fall in crime rate in the last five years. By February 2012, crime rate dropped by 30 per cent. Earlier, between 2006 and 2007 crime rate also fell by about 45-50 per cent.
When I had the privilege of serving in the government of Rivers State under the leadership of Governor Amaechi, I observed that he placed high premium on security because he believed that security was the foundation upon which progress in every other facet of development depends. This is aside the government’s proactive disposition which drew substantially from intelligence gathering, surveillance and the fact that law enforcement agents could reasonably predict potential crime with near perfect accuracy.
Another interesting aspect of the Rivers model is the deployment of technology. Without sounding immodest, I can confidently say that the state’s security network is driven by excellent modern technology. Rivers was the first state to acquire a mobile scanning van known as back scatter. Around the Port-Harcourt metropolis, there are Gantry Scanners at strategic entry locations in Onne- Eleme Road, East-West Road, Choba Road, Oyibo Road, Ikwere Road, Aba Road and Mbiama Road among others.
Aside the use of machines, man is also a factor in the fight against insecurity. I am aware a superb community engagement exists in Rivers State.
To be frank, surveillance, intelligence gathering and a proactive disposition have all combined to help the government and its security apparatus to reasonably predict and tackle crime. And like some states in the country, Rivers also encourages and supports all the security agencies in the fight against crime. Periodically too, the state reviews security administration processes with a view to ensuring that short response time is maintained at all times. There is also the fact that government does not compromise in enforcing the law and also the fact that River State Government insists all the time on bringing the full weight of the law on those who infringe on it.
But by far the most hard-wearing factor is the leadership by example and strength of character of Governor Amaechi. Matching words by action, Amaechi personally visits crime scenes, engages the people and sympathizes with victims. And such actions continue to have a lasting effect on the people.
Earlier in the year, Babs
Omotowa, Managing Direc
tor, Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas, NLNG during a courtesy call thanked Governor Amaechi for making Rivers State safe and secure for business. But the NLNG boss is not alone. Other corporate bodies and individuals have also shown appreciation at different occasions. However, in his response during Omotowa’s visit, the governor made it clear that crime is not a function of border. “What causes crime actually is not location; it is basically poverty and injustice. So if we address the issue of unemployment and wealth creation, our crime rate will reduce and we are working hard towards that in Rivers State.”
It is a well known fact that a good number of Nigerians now prefer to spend their vacations in Ghana. Ghana is also a preferred destination for Africans in the Diaspora. Some years ago, I thought the drift to the former Gold Coast was a fluke and that it would go with the season but I was wrong. Tourism is a major industry in Ghana today and more tourists are still coming.
It therefore did not come as a surprise about two years ago when a specialised unit within the Ghana Police Service was established specifically to provide security and safety for tourists and tourism establishments. It is called Tourism Police and these special police personnel in mufti are always present at beaches, highways, airports, bus stops, public parks, entertainment centres, train stations, tourists’ sites and even markets. But Tourism Police was not an accident. As far as I am concerned, Ghanaians were proactive, they did not wait for the problem to surface first and overwhelm them. A year before the birth of this special police, a delegation that comprised members of the Tour Operators of Ghana, the Tourism Safety and Security Initiative, a non government organisation and Ghana Police Service had undertaken a tour of Egypt to study the country’s tourism policing system. Conversely, insecurity, if not checked could seriously retard a country’s growth and damages its image for life. Kenya is a good example. Tourism was once the mainstay of this East African country but Al-Shabab, an Islamic group, Somali Pirates and nearly a dozen other armed gangs have turned Kenya which once prided itself as paradise on earth into a terrorist enclave.
And Kenyans are paying dearly for the prevailing security challenge in their country. But the lessons from Rivers State, Ghana and Kenya are clear and unambiguous. The drivers of these entities, apart from knowing and applying themselves were also willing to do according to Goethe’s principles of success.
TheNation