Reports of rising insecurity in the country have shown that the Federal Government is not winning the war against Boko Haram and other criminals, the Association of Professional Bodies of Nigeria (APBN), has said.
APBN’s National President, Akinloye Oyegbola, said this during his address at the group’s meeting in Abuja on Thursday.
The APBN is made up of members including the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) and Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN), Nigerian Institute of Town Planners (NITP), Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN), Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN), Nigerian Institute of Architects (NIA), Nigerian Mining and Geosciences Society (NMGS), Chartered Institute of Personnel Management (CIPM), among others.
Oyegbola said insecurity has made Nigeria unattractive for investors, and warned that if there is no concerted effort to de-escalate the situation, the country may be confronted with serious famine in the coming months.
“Because of the seeming intractability of it, the group believes it has become expedient for the federal government to overhaul its security architecture since it looks like it is not presently winning the war against these bandits and miscreants,” he said.
“The nation’s economy is being stunted and may not attract investments as long as there are these palpable feelings of insecurity in the land. The engagement of professionals in the security sector at all levels of governance is key to bringing down this monster that is poised to destroy our nation if drastic and collective actions are not taken.
“It is an open secret that the high level of conflicts in different parts of the country and the not too favourable weather conditions due to climate change and the increasingly dwindling purchasing power constitute a big disincentive to farming and development, likely to result in a food crisis before the end of this year.
“Besides providing security for the nation’s farmers, there is also the need for the federal government to come up with incentives that will encourage those planning to venture into farming to avert the looming food crisis.”
In his comments, Senator Mao Ohuabunwa, urged professionals to take active part in politics, noting that Nigeria needs to be run like a business organisation which will yield dividends for every citizen.
