FG needs to do more to address internal security challenges in North East, others, says Aremu

…Says govt must listen to people, not pandering to political jobbers

Professor Oyesoji Aremu is a security scholar at the University of Ibadan. He is currently serving as the Deputy Vice Chancellor [Academic], Achievers’ University, Owo. In this interview with ROTIMI AGBOLUAJE, the professor of Criminal Justice said the Federal Government needs to do more to address internal security challenges in North East, and other parts of the country.

What is your assessment of the last hunger protest?

The hunger protest held in the early days of the month of August was effective in a way mainly because it put the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on its toes.

It is, therefore, difficult to sweep away the significance and impact of the protest held in the first few days in the month of August, 2024. Although the protests were pronounced in only nine states and Abuja, the ferociousness that greeted the country and international attention it attracted are an indication that the protests were a wakeup call. This is because four days into the protests, President Ahmed Bola Tinubu made a national broadcast in which he assured Nigerians of better and improved governance. In a way, the Federal Government showed concerns even as state governments also started to have another look into the frameworks of governance because Nigerians are now asking questions more than ever before.

Some people in government claimed that the protest was sponsored. Do you share that sentiment?

The theory that the protests were sponsored could be said to be valid given the accounts of the Nigeria Immigration Service. The country, however, awaits the names of the said sponsors.

Can Nigerians believe the account of the NIS?

First, we should note that the Nigeria Immigration Service by its 1963 Act is empowered to control entry into and departure from Nigeria and as well monitoring of non-Nigerians in the country. Given this, we need to trust its judgment which I assume is predicated on intelligence.

Is it not the character of people in government to always claim that a protest is sponsored by the enemy of the government?

Yes, of course, this has been the singsong of every administration. It is what is referred to in Psychology as delusion when wrong attributions are made to people or issues. This is always fallacious, though.

Without the alleged sponsorship, are Nigerians not truly hungry?

Nigerians are truly hungry and things are hard. This is a fact the federal and state governments should know. As the saying goes, a hungry man is an angry man. In Nigeria, people are not only hungry, they are emotionally disturbed.

What is your reaction to the Russian flag used by some elements during the protest?

The dimensions of the introduction of the Russian flag portend some internal security concerns. We should note that in countries that border the Northern states, like Niger Republic, they have military junta backed by the Russian government, though in a covert way. We should also know that we have porous borders. Even before the protest, people from Niger Republic infiltrated Nigeria during the election. So, when this protest was coming up, there is a way they communicate. This is a way of telling the government that if government is not careful, what happened in Niger Republic, and Mali, may happen in Nigeria. When you begin to wave foreign flag in sovereign country, we should not just gloss over this; this should be interrogated because it portends further danger for internal security.

It is believed in some quarters that the protest was a referendum on the Bola Tinubu presidency, especially in the North. What do you have to say about this?

The protests were not a referendum in any way. They were just any of the similar protests held in the past orchestrated to pass some messages to the government. This was handy the way the protests got out of hand in states like Kano and Kaduna. Here, it was obvious that some miscreants hijacked the protests.

Some are calling for the arrest of Ebun Olu-Adegoruwa for charging the youths to go on rampage. How would you react to this?

Mr. Ebun Olu-Adegoruwa needs not be criminalised in this situation. Truly, he called for peaceful protests which were within his fundamental rights. Unfortunately, when the protests were hijacked, he backed off. In any case, be that as it may, he is a Senior Advocate of Nigeria who understands the underhand purpose or purposes. May God help us as a country.

What do you think the Federal Government ought to have done to prevent the protest initially?

Methinks the Federal Government should do more of proactive engagements with Nigerians, especially in respect of some of its policies. Some of the actions of the government were reactive which ought not to have been. The Federal Government should rather have responded to build-up tensions long before their manifestation in form of protests. The issue of palliatives was not properly done. It is one of the ways through which proactive engagements should have been addressed.

Is the Tinubu administration handling insecurity very well?

From the inception of the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, he made it clear that he would address the security challenge that has plagued the country in the last few years. I recall that before the appointment of Alhaji Nuhu Ribadu, there were apprehensions as who would be the National Security Adviser (NSA). Upon his appointment, the NSA held a series of meetings with the Service Chiefs. In effect, this has shown that the administration is strongly desirous of winning the insurgency war. What I can say is that while it is not yet uhuru, as there are many factors promoting insecurity, the present administration is handling war well. Again, it needs be stressed that there are still a lot to do to address the challenges of internal security not only in the North East, but also in other parts of the country.

The present administration, therefore, needs to do more in both kinetic and non-kinetic warfare. The security agencies also need to engage in simultaneous collaborations by sharing intelligence. I also need to also stress the question of neighbouring West African countries that constitute the Sahel Region. The issue of insecurity is more or less of reflection of what happens in those countries. The Federal Government needs to intensify intergovernmental cooperation with a view to addressing sub-national insecurity. 

Does the current administration have the will to change the fortune of the country?

The administration is strongly desirous to change the fortune of the country provided it comes out with policies that are humane. This is, no doubt, a critical period in the country where there is hunger in the land. The administration needs to do more to cushion the hard effects of the biting economy. This requires listening to the people and not pandering to political jobbers.

Is Nigeria investing enough in human capital development?

On human capital development, our country is not doing enough on this. I must say that the private sector is doing much better in this area. Often, the complaints have been lack of funds. This common cliché is hampering productivity. Unfortunately, an employee that is not exposed to developmental training will not be able to give his/her best. Human capital development consists of up-skilling, improved knowledge and exposure to hard and soft skills. In other climes, human capital development is a serious business through which development is measured.

What can you can about running a university system in Nigeria?

There are policies disconnect which stifle smooth running of Nigerian universities. It is still disturbing that the Federal Government still owes universities’ academics and other staff unpaid salaries. Recently too, Vice Chancellors are complaining of funding which hampers smooth administration. The government should do everything to ensure industrial harmony in our universities.

Running a University, especially in our clime is a huge task. Among other things, the list include inadequate funding, poor infrastructure, poorly remunerated academics, the question of 21st century curriculum, bureaucracy, insecurity especially insecurity prone areas. There is also a challenge of unions in government-owned universities. The list is endless and can be very taxing. I need however, to say that everything centres on university’s governance and styles which the Vice Chancellor adopts.

I also need to stress the question of quality and expectations of the labour market especially the private sector. A 21st century curriculum should include entrepreneurial skills and soft skills which should be technologised. There are increasing roles and expectations of 21st century universities which must be met in order to make them competitive and effective. This is the age of knowledge and changing demographic change.

Is it true that education is cheaper in Nigeria and what are the reasons for this?

It depends on the perspectives one looks at it. It is therefore, not a wholesale decision that education is cheaper in Nigeria. Of course, much of Nigeria’s educational institutions are low-cost, commonly referred to as public or government schools. Even at that, this is still out of reach of many Nigerians who live below the poverty line. Outside this argument and comparatively too, pricing of education especially higher education is cheaper in Nigeria.