A retired Major-General, Ishola Williams, has said the Federal Government is not ready to implement any of the recommendations that stakeholders have suggested on how to combat insecurity in the country.
Williams, who was the guest lecturer at the first annual International Lecture Series of the Department of History and International Studies, Lagos State University, Ojo, maintained that the government had been given more than strategies by different stakeholders on how to combat insecurity but had refused to apply any.
While speaking on the title of the lecture, ‘Effective strategies for combating insecurity in Nigeria,’ Williams stressed that one of such recommendations was community policing, adding that Amotekun had been effective in the places where it had been deplored.
He said, “The government has been told enough strategies but they are not taking all the suggestions and recommendations, they believe that if they take to it, they are going to lose the political crowd.
“Take the case of community policing for instance, Amotekun is working, why can’t they adopt Amotekun for the rest of Nigeria? The northerners who have not accepted to do that are dying in their hundreds.”
He emphasised that the government is playing politics with security, “They are playing politics with security, because if the government sends a bill to the National Assembly today to enact a law on community policing, it will be enacted.”
The Vice-Chancellor, LASU, Prof Ibiyemi Olatunji-Bello, who was represented by the host of the lecture, the Dean, Faculty of Arts, Prof. Tayo Ajayi, said the government had not been able to combat insecurity because the rule of law was poor in Nigeria.
He said, “It has to do with development and rule of law. When many people are happy, have hope, can feed themselves, trust in the government, there will be less crime.
“Government should put in place a series of programmes that will make the society more prosperous. When there is no development, a lot of people get frustrated.
“If you look at the developed countries, the possibility of being caught is higher there when you commit crime. Here the rule of law is poor and there is a high level of impunity, in Nigeria, if you know somebody, you can go away with any crime.”
Co-host of the event, Head of Department, History and International Studies, LASU, Dr Adewunmi Falode, said the lecture was aimed at creating a relationship between the gown and town.
“This is an academic community tasked with the challenge of impacting knowledge. The lecture is for idea sharing and betterment of the academic world and society. We also appreciate Major-General Ishola Williams (retd.) for honouring us with his presence as guest lecturer,” Falode said.
He also appreciated the Royal Father of the Day, Aladi Onijanikin of Ijanikin, Oba Momodu Ashafa, for his support.
The traditional ruler, in his remarks, said, “No topic will be more appropriate at this stage of our national development.
“Every individual in the country must be security conscious and politicians should not play a do or die politics.”
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