Figurehead chief security officers by Ademola Adeoye

Of what good is the humongous monthly security votes the executive governors of every state in Nigeria collects when they are actually not in total control of the security apparatus of the states they are voted to protect? I have said it before and I want to say it again: the current constitution of Nigeria has too many holes like a punctured tyre and to be sincere with ourselves—it cannot birth the nation of our dreams. Our current constitution makes god out of one man—who sits, eats, and sleeps far away from the rest of us. It can never work in this century.


We can never have a well-protected nation when the only man that controls the security apparatus of Nigeria sits, sleeps and eats in the federal capital territory (FCT). The governors need to be totally in charge of the security apparatus of their varied states. This is the only way out of the current quagmire of insecurity we have found ourselves. For the umpteenth time, let each state protect itself! This is the way it is being done in saner climes. I know it is being debated fiercely in the nation that the governors will become ruthless; using the security machinery of their States for political purposes but the truth is that—the earlier we start making our mistakes, the better for all of us as a people. Without controlling the security apparatus of their States, are our governors not small gods now, doing as they like?

About three decades ago, I read about a community—that was paying through its nose to employ a protector to secure their men, wives, children and property, but virtually every-day—their wives were raped, their belongings were forcefully taken from them and as if that was not enough, they were also killed by armed robbers and marauders. It got so bad that they needed to fire, kick-out and sack the sentry and raised some valiant men from the community to take-over the task of protecting the community I am putting my search-light on today. It was after that bold and daring decision made that their wives and children began to sleep with their eyes closed. I said that to say this: state policing is non-negotiable.

A few days ago, after dragging my weak body out of the bed to listen to paper reviews on some choice radio stations, I became so sad about what the executive governor of a state said on the state of insecurity in his state. Instead of accepting responsibility for failing to protect the people he collects monthly security vote to save from harm, he pushed them to God to protect them. This is why we are not moving forward as a people. When we fail in what is expected of us as a people, we would push it to God.

During the time of Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, a minister said that the reason we were romancing darkness was because of witches and wizards. He said our problem in that sector was spiritual. I guess the nation that celebrated a century of no power-outage does not have witches and wizards. When the African man does not want to think, plan and work hard, he blames his failure on Satan, witches and wizards and pushes his responsibility to God, but when the time comes to vote, our politicians do not ask witches and wizards to vote for them and they do not ask God to come down to vote for them.

I hope the precious people of Zamfara would be wise enough to send their governor back to God to vote for him when the time comes. The politicians are riding over your head in Nigeria because you love to have it so. In any nation where it is anti-God to hold public officers accountable—within the confines of the constitution can never progress. Stop praising politicians for what they are being paid to do. Stop praising them for tarring roads that do not last. Stop praising them for building hospitals that they do not use. Stop praising them for paying salaries. It is evil to do so. When you do so, what you are saying to them is that you are a slave.

It is very easy to protect Benue state and other states that the people of Nigeria are being daily raped and killed. Let President Buhari give the affected governors three months to fish out (using the security vote they have been collecting from the FCT) those fomenting troubles in those States. If nothing happens after 90 working days, let the President declare a state of emergency in those affected states, putting military administrators in those states. When this happens in about three states, other states would sit up.

The time has come for us to stop ridiculing ourselves before the whole world. It is an ugly shame to be praying unto God for good roads. It is a big shame to be praying to God for healthcare centers that have syringes. It is a shame to push to God what He has put us on earth to do. It is thinking, planning and building time, fellow citizens!