Former President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan has visited bereaved leader of the Yoruba Social Cultural Group, Afenifere, Pa Rueben Fasoranti in Akure to commiserate with the sage. He used the opportunity to advise the President Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal government to urgently deploy new method in tackling the increasing security challenges in Nigeria.
Jonathan, who spoke with journalists on Tuesday during a condolence visit to Pa Reuben Fasoranti in Akure, the Ondo State capital, over the killing of his daughter, Funke Olakunrin, said the current approach being used by security agencies has failed.
The former president who arrived the residence of the Afenifere leader at about 11:20am, said the security situation in the country had deteriorated, adding that deployment of technology would help in no small measure to curtain it.
Jonathan said : ” Every generation as human being faced problems and that generation must find way in solving those problems. Every government faces problem. The first commercial kidnapping, because it involves money happened in 2006 when I was the governor of Bayelsa. From that, it moved to terrorism in the North. It is a major problem in the country.
” I want to believe that the federal government in conjunction with state government must design a different approach to this issue. I was there as President and security challenges was there but now it is getting worse everyday and we can’t continue to use the same old method.
” The Police, Army, DSS and the rest must use technology and I believe the federal government should set up a special unit like we set up EFCC and ICPC to handle corruption cases, so that they will know that their responsibility is to manage this kidnapping, killings and the rest.We can’t continue like this, it is not possible.
” We can’t even talk about managing the economy of this country when people are not save. The economy is for the people, people must be alive to enjoy the infrastructures. If you do all the roads in the country and people cannot move about, so the road become meaningless. I think the issue must be approached from a different dimension, we can’t continue the old way,it is getting out of hand and I believe the government should do something about it.
On the call by former President,Olusegun Obasanjo in his latest letter to President Buhari for an urgent national conference to address the growing insecurity, Jonathan said holding special conference on the insecurity would not be out of place.
” Alot of things were discussed during the national conference organized during my time as president. The issue of security, state and community policing were discussed. I always believe that government should look at that report, it was not written by me.
” We should not play politics with serious national issue. If we look at that report, there are recommendations that bother on security and if there is area that need to be expanded because I believe everyday new idea comes, it should be updated. There is nothing wrong holding a specific meeting to look at the issue of security. I believe the federal and state government having a new approach, deploying technology and having more money to protect our people,” he said
