By Polycarp Onwubiko
The Kaduna state Governor, Mallam Umaru Dikko, while avoiding restructuring the lopsided federation with a decentralized security architecture (otherwise called "State Police" or "multi-level policing") as an integral part, (of course, in line with the position of the "Northern Political Emirates Establishment").
This ultra-conservative phalanx, who have been consistent in vehemently opposing restructuring the federation with decentralized security architecture as an integral part, has pressured and intimidated the 19 northern state governors, especially the Middle Belt states with Christian populations, to reject decentralized security architecture that comes with the restructuring of the federation.
This is championed by the southern part of the country as an effective solution to curb the widespread and intractable insecurities plaguing the nation.
As a result, the Kaduna state Governor was reported to have encouraged his fellow northern governors to adopt a "community-driven" approach to address the problem of insecurity in the region. He spoke during the launch of the state vigilante.
Why should Nigerian leaders indulge in deceiving the masses for grossly unprincipled and self-centered motives? Centralized security architecture was established ostensibly to allow terrorists, masquerading as herdsmen from the Sahel region of West Africa, to control all the forests in Nigeria.
The cabals who formally occupied Aso Rock would threaten dire consequences against any southern governor who attempted to remove the terrorists masquerading as herdsmen from the forests and forest reserves, citing the freedom of movement enshrined in the constitution.
Instead of compelling cattle owners to purchase land like other businesspeople from various ethno-religious groups and establish ranches, the federal government, out of impracticality, promoted the idea of "national cattle routes," a "National Livestock Agency," and a "Water Resources Ministry" that required states to relinquish control over water resources within their jurisdictions.
Fortunately, members of the National Assembly from the southern part of the country awoke from their slumber and vehemently opposed these initiatives, recognizing that they could lead to violent confrontations between the terrorists masquerading as herdsmen and the local populations of states, who, by the constitution, are the owners of the rivers and so-called "cattle routes" demarcated by the colonial masters.
Middle Belt states should not embrace the naivety of the Kaduna state Governor and his "community-driven approach" to address insecurity, which they euphemistically refer to as "bandits and criminals" instead of their true name, which is "terrorists."
Middle Belt states should join forces with the southern part of the country to compel President Tinubu to convene a National Conference of ethnic nationalities to deliberate on a "People's Constitution" that includes a centralized security architecture to enable Christian-dominated states to protect their people from terrorists masquerading as herdsmen.
By Polycarp Onwubiko, public policy analyst.
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