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Insurgency: Nigerians Must Buy Into FG’s Programme To Succeed

The Editor, Guardian on Sunday, Abraham Ogbodo, believes that whatever the Nigerian Government has been doing concerning the search for the Chibok girls must be … Continue reading Insurgency: Nigerians Must Buy Into FG’s Programme To Succeed


Sunrise Daily OgbodoThe Editor, Guardian on Sunday, Abraham Ogbodo, believes that whatever the Nigerian Government has been doing concerning the search for the Chibok girls must be reorganized for it to be more productive.

The lack of communication, he said, has been a major flaw in the Government’s efforts as it was time to coordinate and put other things like politics aside.

He recalled that when the Malaysian Plane was being searched for, as difficult as the situation was, there were always regular updates for the families of the victims and for the media.

He directed some words to the Federal Government, saying that it was not time to point fingers and make spontaneous statements driven by political interests but to focus on the demands of the citizens of the country, who are in pains.

Mr Ogbodo also berated the ban of protests in Abuja at a time when it was expected that the Government would empathise with the parents and protesters and allow them to express their emotions in their time of grief.

The Police Commissioner in Abuja was reported to have made the order owing to the possibility of the protesters being infiltrated by people of ulterior motives, in an attempt to create chaos.

Although he admitted that the justification of the Police’s action was valid, Ogbodo noted that it was the responsibility of the Police to ensure that the group was not infiltrated by the wrong people. “They can restrict them to one location, rather than moving around”, he said.

He stressed that the protesters and victims’ family members could not have taken up arms and move into the forest to search for their children, they are only left with the protests and public statements to express their emotions, as it remained the responsibility of Government to protect its citizens.

There had been reports that the involvement of an Australian negotiator had revealed that the abducted girls had been moved out of the country and this, Ogbodo said, further underlines the fact that the communication has not been good enough despite the questions Nigerians are asking.

“My daughter once asked me if she would be safe in her school… She reminded me that there is an evil forest in Ibadan where people were killed, I had to keep telling her she would be safe”, he said.

At all level, including towns and Local Government Areas, Ogbodo maintained that it was important that Nigerians are constantly assured of their safety, as this was a major way to also gain their support for the Government’s efforts.

“The Government cannot stay in Abuja and just expect people to take it like that”, he said, adding that there has to be efforts by Government to involve the people in its activities.

Ogbodo also opined that what was happening to Nigeria was “day of reckoning” as the country for so long had been complacent in its security, with emphasis on border security, despite its large budgetary allocation to security agencies.

Speaking in relation to the idea of offering an olive branch to insurgents willing to embrace peace, he said: “When you talk of trying to address issues in a country, you make it a process not a project.”

This, he said in reference to the Niger Delta Amnesty programme, which according to him had lapses in its execution, as it only focuses on a group of militants and ignores the fact that the Niger Delta region continues to produce more youths every year.

He advised that the current issue of Boko Haram in the country must not be handled in the same manner.

He insisted that everybody must be made to buy into whatever programmes the Government has concerning the security of the country.

Mr Abraham Ogbodo spoke as a guest on the Channels Television’s breakfast programme, Sunrise Daily on Tuesday, June 3.