The Association of Retired Career Ambassadors of Nigeria (ARCAN) has tasked President Muhammadu Buhari to urgently review the country’s social and security structure as a way to check rising insecurity.
ARCAN prescribed state police, redesigning of cattle routes, ranching, implementation of voluntary surrender of weapons programme and recruitment and equipping of military personnel, among others, as solutions to the problem.
The former envoys gave the advice in a July 15 memorandum titled ‘Current security situation in Nigeria, its implications for the country’s external relations and the way forward’, signed by ARCAN President, Dr Oladapo Fafowora
The memorandum, made available to The Nation, said the diplomats were “deeply concerned” about the security situation in the country and highlighted a connection between the domestic environment and Nigeria’s foreign policy.
ARCAN stated that it was convinced that a vibrant foreign policy that delivers on the mandate of protecting the country’s national interest in line with Section 19 of the l999 Constitution must be anchored on a sound, safe, secure and prosperous domestic policy.
It said: “It is against the foregoing background and consistent with its goals and objectives that ARCAN is deeply concerned about the current security situation in Nigeria, especially the spate of killings arising from the herders/farmers conflict, communal clashes as well as from other incidents of insecurity in various parts of the country.
“The proliferation of Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW), made possible by Nigeria’s porous borders and weak customs control, especially at the land and sea borders, have also fuelled the deplorable situation.
“The ease and speed at which Nigerians are quick to take up arms against their neighbours and fellow citizens is saddening, thereby calling into question the country’s collective commitment to peaceful co-existence irrespective of ethnicity, tribe, religion and other differences.
“Similarly, the persistence of ethnic agitations and tensions in some parts of the country has been further accentuated by yellow, sensational journalism and the use of the social media to spread fake news.”
The association also noted that the attacks against farmers, including cattle-rustling in some parts of the country, portend great risks to the country’s food security.
ARCAN thanked the Federal Government for containing the Boko Haram insurgency among other security efforts, but it lamented that the measures had “not been effective in curtailing the spate of killings in different parts of the country.
“ARCAN therefore calls on the Federal Government to urgently bring to an end these killings in consonance with both its obligations under the Constitution and international law.”
It warned that the current security situation has serious implications for Nigeria’s external relations, and foreign policy, with negative impact on the country’s image abroad.
ARCAN said: “The perception that the country is unstable and seemingly at war with itself gives the impression to the outside world that the country is not in effective control of its internal affairs.
“This is capable of serving as a disincentive to foreign investors and Nigeria’s development partners. It is also capable of eroding Nigeria’s leadership role and aspirations, not just in the West African sub-region, but also in Africa and the world at large. Equally, the situation cannot earn Nigeria the respect of the international community which is likely to view the country and its citizens in their midst with scorn.”
The ex-envoys warned the President that the prevailing insecurity “depicts government as being unable or unwilling to protect its citizens, which may trigger the principle of Responsibility to Protect and unfavourable consideration by the United Nations Human Rights Council and the Security Council.
“For a country with a great reputation for peace-making and peace-keeping in various parts of the world, the thoughts of the international community contemplating enforcement or other actions against Nigeria are undesirable outcomes that must be avoided through adroit diplomacy and a greater commitment to effective actions by government.”
Nevertheless, it urged the government to stay focused while searching for solutions. It should, ARCAN added, eschew ethnic, religious and political influence and interference.
“Government should evolve a comprehensive programme and effective mechanisms to protect the lives and properties of Nigerians, and the resolution of communal conflicts, including equitable access to land, water, grazing and other resources, to mitigate the devastating impact of climate change as well as take into urgent consideration other factors considered as the immediate or remote causes of the killings.”
Furthermore, the association proposed immediate, short-term and long-term measures to salvage the situation.
The mechanisms, it noted, should include, “Arrest and diligent prosecution of suspected perpetrators of the killings and arsons, including their sponsors and supporters, no matter how highly-placed.
“Sustained dialogue and discussion between the Presidency and the National Assembly in the search for solutions and the implementation of agreed strategies to deal with conflicts.”
The association warned politicians, government officials and religious leaders against inciting tension and hatred among Nigerians.
It also called for the “immediate repeal of the Firearms Act of 1959 to bring it up to speed with the current realities regarding the proliferation of small and light weapons as well as the upgrading of the Presidential Committee on Small Arms and Light Weapons to a full-fledged Commission (NATCOM) in line with the provisions of the ECOWAS Convention on Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW) (2006), to serve as the institutional and legal framework for the disarmament programme.
“Embark on a comprehensive and sustained programme of disarmament and voluntary surrender of the illicit arms and their destruction to mop up the estimated over 300 million small arms and light weapons in the hands of non-state actors with which most of the killings have been perpetrated across Nigeria.”
The police, it recommended, should be expanded toward achieving the UN recommendations of one policeman to 400 citizens “as against Nigeria’s dismal current ratio of one policeman to over 800 people. The size of Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps should also be similarly increased to complement the work of the Police and other security forces.”
According to the envoys, state police, with effective checks and balances to prevent abuse, is a necessity, while there should “continuous engagement with religious institutions and leaders, as has been done by other countries such as Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Uganda, US and the UK, among others, to dissuade them from the use of religion, inflammatory sermons and hate speeches to cause disunity and conflict in the country.”
ARCAN added: “To enhance the primary role of the Armed Forces, there is the need to increase the size of our military and equip them with sophisticated arms and modern equipment… The Nigerian military appears currently over-stretched with peace support operations in over 30 States of the Federation in duties that should ordinarily be carried out by the Police and Civil Defence Corps.
“The Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON) IN Kaduna should also be revitalised to produce most of the much-needed weapons so as to enhance self-reliance in armaments.”