INSECURITY: TINUBU WILL FIGHT ON, BUHARI BATTLED FOR EIGHT YEARS

One of the primary concerns that President-elect Bola Tinubu will face is the insecurity that still plagues a lot of Nigerian towns.

Tinubu, a former Lagos governor, will carry on the fight that President Muhammadu Buhari has waged since his victory eight years ago.

Many people expect the Katsina-born former Head of State, who served as a Major General in many conflicts, to smash the guerillas.

During its campaign for the 2015 general elections, the APC expressly promised to improve security, the economy, corruption, and unemployment, all of which it claimed the previous administration had failed to do.

The President and party officials urged citizens to vote out ex-President Goodluck Jonathan and the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, on campaign grounds and in interviews, promising to tackle the country's problems.

Kashim Shettima, the incumbent Governor of Borno State, where the incident occurred, is the Vice President-elect.

In January 2023, the parents of the remaining captive girls issued an open letter to President Obama, reminding him of his vow to ensure their daughters' freedom.

The country experienced the highest number of mass abductions under Buhari's administration, prompting the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, to wonder if insurgents had taken control.

Terrorists kidnapped students from the Government Science College in Kagara, Niger State, 73 students from the Government Day Secondary School in Kaya, Zamfara State, and 300 schoolgirls from the Government Secondary School in Jangebe, Zamfara State in 2021 alone.

This week, it was reported that the Islamic State's West Africa Province, ISWAP, is planning to deploy drones for strikes in Nigeria and other nations surrounding Lake Chad, implying that more trouble is on the way.

On Sunday, a famous security expert, Kabiru Adamu, told reporters that only the implementation of "operational and financial accountability" will improve security.

He believes that work began with the President's signature of Executive Order 14, which resulted in the formation of the Transition Council, which was chaired by the Secretary to the Government, Boss Mustapha.

Babagana Mungono, the National Security Adviser, chairs the security sub-committee, and the President-elect has two delegates (Governor Atiku Bagudu and banker Wale Edun).

"But beyond that 7-point and what the council is doing, I will strongly recommend 'security sector governance' which the current government did not pay much attention to," Adamu said.

He added: "Such is very important, especially in a democratic setting like ours. There must be accountability which is in two parts - operational and financial.

"Governance is a continuum, and the incoming government has promised to build on the good policies of the outgoing. Synergy between the executive and the legislature is also vital, we saw that in this dispensation.

"It is also commendable that the equipment repository has been improved. The Buhari government stopped using third-parties, it is now government to government purchase.

"You remember what happened during the Jonathan era when money transported to South Africa to buy equipment was intercepted and the whole thing became an embarrassment.

"The solution is accountability; security should be managed like projects. You should have metrics. If you appoint someone, you need to measure the person. There must be a penalty.

"Recall the attacks on Owo church in Ondo, Nigerian Defence Academy in Kaduna, Kuje prison break in Abuja, and so on. No one has been punished, If you know any, you can tell me.

"This government has done a lot but there's still the spectre of corruption in the sector. I'll cite an instance: Drones selling for N20 million each were purchased for N35 million."

Adamu advised the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, to focus on the security sector and close loopholes, noting that appointees would sit up if they knew punishment was on the way.

"If the people notice improved performance and see there are consequences for corruption, they will support the government. That is not really happening right now," the risk management expert observed.