Former president of Nigeria, Olusegun Obasanjo has lent his voice to calls by citizens for the creation of state police saying that it would be an element in solving insecurity in the country.
He made the call while delivering his speech at a lecture tagged: ‘Social Responsibility in Nation Building’ at the 78th anniversary of the Island club Lagos.
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According to him, the country might not be classified as a nation except it solves its problems of insecurity, political instability, injustice, inequity and impunity amongst others.
“There’s a need for us to agree on what really is the Nigerian dream. Some of the measures made by the government to build a Nigerian nation need to be reviewed and other measures need to be enshrined.
“Nation building is a journey and not a destination. It must at all times be embarked upon as the progress made yesterday can be unmade tomorrow.
“Social and civil organisations such as Island Club must play a key role in nation building through so many measures such as advocacy, participation, mobilization of citizens amongst others” he added.
Chairman of the club, Otunba Kehinde Shitta urged Nigerians to put their selfish interest aside and put the country first. He also called on the government to ensure state policing in the country.
“State policing is certain overdue in Nigeria, everybody knows about that, that’s why everybody is talking about it now. The government knows better and they may have their reasons why it has not been implemented but certainly it will.
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“State policing will metamorphose into getting local government police like they do abroad so you will be able to know yourself and monitor yourselves which is what has been happening before so like I said, it’s all going to how we have been doing it before. State police are very key.”
Former Chairman of the club, Olu Falomo said: “How to secure the country is very much in the hands of the politicians. The day they stop deceiving themselves is the day we will start to secure this country. For now, everybody is pretending that nothing is happening.”
