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The Federal Government has been charged to undertake a strategic multi-sectoral approach for security and good governance for Nigerians.
Critical areas of focus include; food sufficiency for the teeming Nigerians, qualitative education in public institutions, youth inclusiveness in national building, enduring infrastructure, non-political interference on issues of federal character representation in appointments, women involvement in politics and righting the wrongs in the political history of Nigeria, among others.
Akwa Ibom State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Comrade Ini Ememobong gave the recipe Thursday 22nd in Uyo, while receiving participants of the Executive Intelligence Management Course (EIMC) 14, Syndicate 2, from the National Institute of Security Studies, Abuja, on a courtesy call, as part of their study tour of the state.
Noting that security, is a feeling and revolves around the people, Comrade Ini Ememobong said, Nigerians at all levels, especially the poor in the rural commodities must be provided with sufficient food and essential amenities to give them a feeling of care, love and security from the government without which, they will tend to be antagonistic towards government and the rich amongst them.
“Government should be able to provide qualitative education, with modification in the curriculum to capture the current trends and ICT needs in public institutions across the nation where the majority of Nigerian youths study, in order to give them hope and trust in the government”, the Information helmsman emphasized.
“Youths must be given sufficient reasons to trust the government and must be carried along in all national development processes. When youths who form over 60 percent of the population are left without hope, due to unemployment and poor services, then security challenges will set in”, Comrade Ememobong added.
In addition, “the Federal government should not subject national building and security to political interference but should allow the federal character to be reflected in appointments, especially in the formation of the national security council”, Comrade Ini Ememobong stated.
Recalling that, political wrongs done to some sections and regions of Nigeria which elicited the Civil War are yet to be corrected or apologies tendered, the State Spokesman maintained that, these are some critical challenges to the security of the nation and urged the Federal government to Strategically look into these multi-sectoral issues to be able to effectively attain the desired heights in security and good governance to the Nigerian nation.
The Information Commissioner who lauded the theme of the study tour – “Governance, Security and Sustainable Development in Africa – Nexus, Challenges, Prospects”; which he said was apt, saluted the courage of all the participants and by extension all security operatives for signing to the obligation of laying down their lives for the safety of lives of Nigerians and even those of other countries in Africa, with the position of Nigeria as the giant of Africa, the big brother of other African countries.
On Security in Akwa Ibom State, Comrade Ememobong said, in addition to logistic supports to security agencies, Governor Udom Emmanuel also constituted the Boundary Youth Committees, which gave an opportunity for communities to interface with security agencies on security issues as well as create an office on security matters, all geared at stemming insecurity, earning Akwa Ibom the position of the most peaceful state in Nigeria.
This model, according to the Information Boss, is also adopted by the Ministry of Information, where all Federal government agencies including security apparatuses in the State, are brought together under the State Strategic Information Committee to share information on security matters, geared at boosting security and stemming challenges in the sector.
He expressed appreciation to the team for acknowledging the strides of the Governor Udom Emmanuel-led government such as: Ibomair, Kings Flour mill, Jubilee Syringe Manufacturing company, a good network of roads and the cleanliness of the state, among others, stating that, all these achievements are not mere coincidence but concerted efforts and strategic investments by Governor Udom Emmanuel who runs investment-oriented governance, based on his years of experience in the banking and business world, where he climbed to the apex of the banking industry as an Executive Director in one of the high brow banks in Nigeria.
The State Information helmsman said, such strategic investments like those of Ibomair, the 21-story Dakkada Tower which is completely ICT compliant, the Flour mill, Syringe factory, the Ibom 3000 project and the $1.4billion Fertilizer and Ammonia plant underway in Ikot Abasi, are all sustainable development projects and programmes, which are providing jobs, creating wealth, alleviating poverty as well as accruing revenue to the state and has the capacity to last beyond the present administration and even the third generations of Akwa Ibom.
“These projects are not run as appendages of the Civil Service but through PPP arrangements. The government has no hand in their day-to-day operations. They are run purely as business and limited liability companies. So sustainability is assured” Comrade Ini Ememobong, said.
The team leader and Syndicate Supervisor, Mr. Emmanuel Esomonu, fsi had said, the group was on a tour of the state to broaden their views on the security perspective of the state, as part of the requirements for their 10 months course towards the award of Fellow Security Institute (fsi) of the Nigeria Institute of Security Studies, if found worthy in learning and in character.
Also speaking, the Directing Staff of the study tour, Mrs. Nka Obi-Bisong, fsi, disclosed that the team is made up of 16 participants of Syndicate 2 of the Executive Intelligence Management Course and Faculty members which form part of the class of 66 participants of the EIMC 14.
She said, participants, are drawn from 21 Agencies in Nigeria as well as 3 ECOWAS countries of Gambia, Ghana and Liberia and stated that findings during the tour will be documented and made available to the state and federal government to aid in good governance.
Highlights of the event witnessed by the Permanent Secretary, Mr. Inyang Jameson and Directors in the Ministry were the presentation of publications of the Ministry and souvenir items to the visiting team by the Commissioner, Comrade Ini Ememobong as well as the presentation of a commemorative plaque from the Institute to the Commissioner by the team lead.
