Olushola Omogbehin
The Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has queried the news of Federal Government’s approval of the recruitment of 1,000 forest guards for Oyo State.
Obi said Nigeria’s security challenges require a broader and more coordinated approach.
He disclosed this in a statement posted on his official page where he reacted to President Bola Tinubu approved recruitment of forest guards for the state in the current growing concerns over insecurity across the country.
Obi argued that despite the importance of increasing security personnel, such measures should be carried out through a coordinated national strategy instead of state-by-state basis.
As states like Oyo, Plateau, Kwara, Kogi, Borno, Katsina, Anambra, Niger, Imo and Sokoto, are currently facing various security challenges, Obi questioned if similar gesture would be extended to all the states.
“The question is whether all the states will receive the same approval to recruit 1,000 forest guards per state, or is the recruitment approval based on the mood of the President?
“While recruiting more security personnel for Oyo State and the country is important, it should be done in a more organised and well-thought-out manner,” Obi stated.
On the future of the Western Nigeria Security Network, codenamed Amotekun Corps, the NDC presidential candidate also questioned whether the new recruitment initiative would affect its operations in Oyo State.
“The pervasive insecurity we currently have is directly related to the failure of our ecosystem, particularly leadership,” he said.
According to him, tackling insecurity in Nigeria requires holistic or ecosystem approach with deliberate efforts to strengthen national unity, create jobs and improve productivity across key sectors of the economy.
