Stronger institutions and a change in values will reduce insecurity in Nigeria, according to Don

Stronger institutions and a reorientation of values, according to Prof. Etannibi Alemika of the Department of Sociology at the University of Jos, would be used to address the nation’s current security issues.

Alemika made this statement at his farewell speech, titled “Reflection on Underdevelopment and Insecurity in Nigeria,” on Thursday in Jos to commemorate his retirement from the military.

He claimed that a major factor in the nation’s increasing insecurity was the nation’s successive governments’ failure to establish institutions and teach right values in the populace.

The inability of succeeding administrations to stop and contain violent confrontations at all levels gave rise to terrorism, widespread banditry, and kidnapping.

Tens of thousands of people have died as a result of farmer and herder wars, which have also destroyed towns and other assets across the nation.

Therefore, the country is currently experiencing worsening insecurity, which has severely hampered growth, he said.

The don, however, asserted that social institutions, including the family, the educational system, and religious organizations, among others, were to blame for the failure of government institutions.

“The institutions of government have failed because the majority of non-state social institutions, which ought to be the repository of society’s values, have utterly failed to uphold, act upon, and preserve ideals that were compatible with security and growth.

Religious organizations and authorities that are supposed to serve as a moral compass have let us down.

He claimed that they had given up on biblical revelations and instructions in favor of consumerism, impunity, exploitation, oppression, hatred, and other negative ideologies.

Alemika urged the creation of national democratic social movements against inter-religious and inter-ethnic groups in order to combat the negative tendency.

He urged Nigerians, in particular families, to develop, nurture, uphold, and promote the principle of “love thy neighbor as thyself,” adding that it would be a prerequisite for the country’s current issue to be resolved.

The issue in Nigeria must be resolved by strong institutions built on principles of common humanity, selflessness, empathy, fairness, and patriotism. These principles must be anchored in God’s ordinances.

Nigeria fundamentally needs to comprehend the types and root causes of threats to its existence, progress, and security, he added.