Abuja — Former House of Representatives member, Robinson Uwak, has stressed the urgent need to prioritize security and adopt a dual-pronged approach to combat the rising insecurity situation.
He made the call as Nigeria grapples with a dire security situation marked by kidnappings, banditry, and other forms of criminality.
Briefing journalists in Abuja on Sunday, he vehemently opposed any security strategy driven by political persecution or self-preservation of the ruling class.
"Nigeria is gradually descending into anarchy due to the high rate of insecurity in the country," Uwak stated, while issuing a warning to the federal and state governments.
He described the current situation as a threat to the nation's survival and progress, with criminal elements gradually taking control of various territories.
"No nation attracts the needed investment and achieves the necessary growth and overall wellbeing of its citizens when swaths of its territory are under the control of criminal non-state actors," he cautioned.
Expressing his deep concern about the escalating lawlessness and Nigeria's potential downfall as a failing state, Uwak called on the government to reassess its approach to national security.
He further emphasized the importance of a security strategy centered on protecting the lives and properties of citizens.
Uwak insisted on the restoration of law and order across the country, suggesting a two-tiered approach to tackle the security challenges.
According to him, the soft approach involves creating employment opportunities for the youth in productive sectors and addressing genuine grievances.
Meanwhile, the hard approach would entail deploying modern equipment to put an end to the nefarious activities of non-state actors.
"I am worried by the increasing descent to lawlessness and the turn into a failing state," Uwak confessed.
He urged the government to rise above political and elitist interests, focusing instead on the protection and welfare of the people, thereby restoring law and order in the country.
