CLEEN Foundation, Stakeholders Hold Roundtable on Internal Security Management.

Oru Leonard

As insecurity soars in Nigeria, the CLEEN Foundation Wednesday organized a roundtable discussion on Internal Security Management in Nigeria.

Relevant security agencies and security operatives professionals were brought together at Abuja in Nigeria, to discuss key issues and challenges of internal security management.

The participants made up of the Nigeria Police, and other key paramilitary agencies in the country highlighted the primary responsibility of the government which is the protection of lives and properties within the State,

Speaking during her welcome remarks, the Acting Executive Director of CLEEN Foundation, Mrs Ruth Olofin, who stated that the last two decades in Nigeria has recorded a level of insecurity more than any other time in the history of the country noted that the seeming challenges in the ability of the state to address these challenges squarely are seeing an increase in the reliance on private security actors which demands for more localized policing architecture in the communities.

She said CLEEN Foundation organised the internal security management roundtable in order to create a platform for critical stakeholders to discuss their roles in the management of internal security in Nigeria with a view to creating synergies and partnerships that can foster greater peace and security in the country.

“It is our expectation that at the end of this roundtable, we will witness an intensification of collaborative mechanisms through intelligence led policing, greater accountability for offenders within the ambit of the law and improved citizen security as a cardinal responsibility of the state.

“As we countdown to the November 6th gubernatorial elections in Anambra state, it is our earnest hope that the elections will be conducted in a safe and peaceful atmosphere, and that the security of lives and properties of the voters and all election stakeholders including security officials will be guaranteed pre, during and post the elections”, she said.

Delivering the keynote address titled, “Contemporary Security Challenges & Internal Security Management in Nigeria, the Chairman/Board of Trustees CLEEN Foundation, Prof. Etannibi Alemika who is a Professor of Criminology, University of Jos, articulated how problems start locally and escalate to insecurity adding that law enforcement agencies cannot solve problems created by politicians.

Professor Alemika who said that security and development are intertwined, posited that Nigeria requires comprehensive sector-wide reform to establish democratic security governance that will produce and sustain legitimate, responsive, effective and accountable security agencies in the country.

He disclosed that at the structural level, there is need for adherence to constitutional provisions, generally and especially sections 4,5,6, 10, chapters 2 and 4 as well as the articulation of national core values and interests through wide consultations.

“Therefore, internal security management should be pursued through multi-sectoral platforms consisting of economic and socio-political policies aimed at guaranteeing citizens’ freedom from violence (conflict, crime, terrorism and repression); fear (engendered by lack of military, economic, social and political governance capacity by the state) and want (poverty, deprivations, discrimination, etc.).

“To achieve these, there is need to maintain strong, equipped, motivated, responsive, professional, effective, efficient and accountable public service and security agencies under democratic oversight”, he butressed.

Also speaking, the Chairman of the Occasion, Gen Saleh Maina (Rtd), emphasised on the need to review the country’s system, he appealed to participants to brainstorm on the security challenges and find lasting solutions to the problems rather than engaging in blame games.

However, he expressed hopes that the roundtable will strengthen collaboration among security agencies in Nigeria, as there will be no security without development.

He appealed to the government to listen to sincere bodies that mean well for the country, such as CLEEN Foundation, I hope that this regime will not bequeath insecurity to it’s successor in 2023.erf

The event which was supported by Ford Foundation has representatives of the Federal Ministry of Police Affairs, the Nigerian Police Force, National Correctional Service and Civil Defence Corps, amongst others.