Insecurity: Tinubu Surrendering To Terrorists — PDP
The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has urged President Bola Tinubu administration to develop a comprehensive plan to combat the rising insecurity in the country, instead of what it called resorting to simplistic approach of closing schools to score cheap political points.
The main opposition party said in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Comrade Ini Ememobong, that the rush to close schools will amount to complete surrender to the terrorists, whose sole aim is to shut down schools and prevent children from obtaining formal education.
“If the schools are closed, the goal of the terrorists would have been inadvertently achieved,” the PDP said.
“This alarm is crucial because, a closure of schools will certainly exacerbate the already challenging educational situation in Northern Nigeria, where, according to UNICEF, the majority of the 18.3 million out-of-school children (10.2 million at the primary level and 8.1 million at the secondary level) in Nigeria reside.”
It added that the series of attacks and kidnappings in different states within a week, is indicative of the alarming insecurity that has become the contemporary lived experience and new reality of Nigerians under the APC-led Bola Tinubu government.
“More troubling is the fact that when these unfortunate incidents happen, the administration’s response is usually lacklustre and unempathetic.
“For example, instead of the President visiting Kebbi and Niger States to meet and sympathise with the parents of the children who are in captivity, and to address the security personnel there, he merely directed the Minister of State for Defence to relocate to Kebbi.
“A juxtaposition of the contingents sent to the US Congress and the G-20 meeting with Matawalle’s lone envoy, exposes the levity with which the presidency treats this matter. This reaction is most insensitive and dismissive of the gravity of the problem by the APC-led Federal Government.”
The PDP said the federal government should immediately fund and implement the National Policy on Safety, Security and Violence-Free Schools anchored on community intelligence and quick security response, capable of anticipating and contending with attacks on schools.
“Insecurity in schools will be a big disincentivisation for education in the country, especially in Northern Nigeria,” it said, and reminded the President that the primary function of any government is to secure lives and property of citizens.
“At any time government is unwilling, unable, or incapable of executing this primary role, such a government, must either ask for help (locally or internationally) or honourably resign, if it is sincere and responsible.”
