The Integrity Youths Ibadanland Association for Development has urged the federal government to consider devolution of power in tackling insecurity while also admonishing the FG to give room for State Police as this will grant state governors power to tackle the problem of security in their respective states.
The president of the group, Eniyi Wasiu Ojekunle noted while speaking with our correspondent at a security summit conveyed by the association, that it is a known fact that without peace in any society, no achievement can be made.
” It is notorious that in Nigeria, all over the country, there is gross Insecurity, that is, the pandemic and perennial incidences of various acts of crime.There are also facts of mass unemployment and underemployment”.
The security summit which was tagged; Security, Youth And Social Order –
The Interconnectivity, had various stakeholders who are concerned with the security of the state and the nation at large in attendance and was targeted at ensuring a secured Ibadanland especially, Oyo State and Nigeria as a whole.
While speaking to Philip Osunsami, a reporter to naijatodaynews.com.ng, the President, Eniyi Wasiu Ojekunle urged the federal government to do the needful in tackling the menace of insecurity that has ravaged the entire nation. He charged the FG on devolution of power while emphasizing that it is only through state police that insecurity can easily be curbed.
He said, “it is very essential that government should do the needful particularly the federal government should do the needful because if there is no power devolution, the state will not have the power and even if they have the power they should all use their power very well so as to attack this issue of insecurity.
“The power to control the police is with the central government, how do we now make the power to be at the grassroot,at the local level, at the state level so that there will not be any problem at all.
“What I can say now is that the government should make policy that will create better enabling environment where people can be employed. They should employ youths, engage youths, empower youths, it is this piece that we are missing that is causing, creating problem for the peace of the society.
“Youths are the missing peace that is giving us problem of insecurity. If they are well empowered they have their handiworks and there are good policies that make their businesses thrive, we will not have any problem at all.
While delivering his welcome address, Eniyi Ojekunle stated that the purpose of the summit is to catalyse a synergy between the Government and tertiary institutions, between state actors such as the president, governors, legislators and on the other hand professors, doctors of Philosophy, Master’s graduate and students for the search for solutions to Insecurity.
He further said that after engaging a sizeable number of intellectuals, he has come to the conclusion that until there’s a system in Nigeria whereby the intellectuals are the only ones or are mainly elected into Government.
He thus urged the government to patronize the intellectuals on a commercial basis, adding that it is only when we get to the root causes of unemployment that we may meaningfully tackle the menace of gross Insecurity in Nigeria.
