The National Rescue Movement (NRM) on Wednesday urged Nigerian leaders to tread carefully not to overheat the polity and aggravate the current security challenges facing the nation.
The party asked the National Assembly to initiate a
law which will limit military roles in civil unrest. NRM made its position known in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Prince Chinedu Obi The statement said: “NRM believes the prevailing
tension in the land as a result of economic down turn, unemployment, poverty and armed banditry, already posed serious challenge.
“The NRM views the recent statements credited to an elder statesman, Gen. T.Y. Danjuma calling on Nigerians to defend themselves as uncalled for and
capable of aggravating the security situation although it is a reaction to frustration over failure of
government to adequately protect lives and property of Nigerians as enshrined in the constitution.
“Danjuma’s statement was not necessarily meant to incite the people to carry arms and defend
themselves, but a call for people to be vigilant and the military to see the need to change strategy in
dealing with the security situation where people don’t feel safe before they adopt self-protection which is the first law of nature.
“The NRM recalls the categorization of Nigeria by
Google as “a failed state”, ranking it the 15th among ‘’the worst failed states’’ in an exercise in which 180 countries across the world were
surveyed based on internationally accepted indicators of failure of government to provide peace,
security and safety for its citizens.
“This is validated by the spiraling rate of killings, destruction of properties and displacement of
hundreds of thousands of Nigerians.
“The NRM believes we got to this stage in our nationhood because of cumulative injustices, gross
inequities as well as the aloofness of various political interests to the unfolding consequences.
“The PDP’s recent confession of driving the country aground and plea for forgiveness coupled with the ruling APC’s glaring lack of capacity to address the current socio-economic crises, makes an alternative credible political vehicle for the country inevitable
for a timely and effective restoration of peace and
stability.”
The party urged the National Assembly to initiate a law which will limit military roles in civil matters.
It recommended the floating of a Volunteer Security
Fund to assist volunteer groups to complement the efforts of The statement added: “It is our view that over-exposure of our military to civil security duties is
substantially responsible for whatever lapses noticed in their operation and we therefore call on
the national assembly to as a matter of urgency initiate an act that will review and define situations requiring deployment of the military to assist Police
whose constitutional duty is to enforce the laws.
“Our internal security agencies should also be
strengthened, well-equipped and given incentives to enhance their capacity to deal with internal security issues to enable the military concentrate on its
traditional mandate.
“NRM appeals to the Federal Government to set-up a Volunteer Security Fund that shall be used to
assist volunteer groups to enable them acquire the necessary skills and capacity to assist security
agencies.”
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