TOXIC INSECURITY IN NORTHERN NIGERIA: A GOVERNMENTAL FAILURE NOW WIELDED BY SAME GOVERNMENT AS TOOL FOR CONSTRUCTIVE GENOCIDE [A PUBLIC REVOLT AGAINST NYSC POSTING] – DE’ GRIN NANS WRITES
Against the degree of grand virulent insecurity now predominant in the northern region of Nigeria, a critical and indept scrutiny of the recently activated NYSC posting will – to the rational thinkers, reveal a clandestine, politically motivated long term plot to decimate the future leaders of the Eastern, Southern and Western ethic categories of Nigerian polity and polically emasculate/enervate these regions, this is generally unimpeachable and glaring to the sound minded with political acumen only.
It is a public knowledge to the learned that NYSC which was created on the 22nd of May 1973 by GEN YAKUBU GOWON military dispensation is an organisation of the Federal government with legislative blessings through decree NO 24, SECTION 315 (5) a CFRN 1999 and NYSC ACT 2004 (as amended) for the purpose of fostering national cohesion, unity, development of common ties, discipline, patriotism, ideals of national achievements, socio-cultural improvements, national interest, self reliance, national economic growth, national integration, inter-ethnic understanding, corporate existence, religious tolerance, free movement of labour among others. SECTION 1 (2&3) NYSC ACT 2004.
Consequently it was made clear that in order to achieve these stated objectives, the service corps shall ensure – the equitable distribution of members of the service corps and the effective utilisation of their skills in areas of national needs; that youths are assigned to jobs in States other than their States of origin; that such group of Nigerian youths assigned to work together is representative of Nigeria as far as possible; that youths are exposed to the modes of living of the people in different parts of Nigeria; that employers are induced partly through their experience with members of the service corps to employ more readily and on a permanent basis, qualified Nigerians, irrespective of their States of origin. SECTION 1(4) NYSC ACT 2004.
Additionally, in other to rigidly permanentize and guarantee the continued observance of this initiative, it was injected into the 1999 constitution, SECTION 315 (5)a as an existing law which from thence becomes unconstitutional to be varied or invalidated until the satisfaction of the procedural conditions in SECTION 9 CFRN 1999.
Nonetheless with the alarming rate of audacious proliferation of banditry, enmass kidnapping, suicide bombing, inhumane and criminal activities of fulani herdsmen, boko Haram, ritual killings, human trafficking, terrorism, religious and ethnic clashes etc which is predominant in northern Nigeria and graduating at a geometric progression, it is therefore no gainsaying to staunchly asseverate/aver that northern Nigeria is currently in a venomously toxic state, security-wise. Local and international news headlines is daily saturated with the placid but demonic activities of terrorists, bandits, ritual killers, kidnappers, fulani herdsmen and anti-ethnic crusaders so obsessed about settling someone else’s centuries-long scores.
The maximum question here is “which takes the front burner for a rational government, protection of life or national integration?” or what is the essence of national integration when the short and long term beneficiaries of the merits of the national integration are dead?
Without mincing words, the provision of SECTION 14(2)b of CONSTITUTION OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA 1999 is fundamentally ingrained on this matter and it provides that “the security and welfare of the people SHALL be the PRIMARY purpose of government”. This is apposite and it evokes the unassailable doctrine of social contract as put forward by John Locke, Thomas Hobbes amongst others which is the pillar on which every system of government is built with anarchism as an exception. It is germane to state that the proviso in Section 6(6)c is immaterial in this case as the existence of SECTION 214(1),215 & 216, ITEM17, 38 & 45 FIRST SCHEDULE CFRN 1999 and other FEDERAL LEGISLATIONS ON SECURITY (e.g POLICE ACT) invalidate its effectiveness.
The need for security was the basis of the social contract between the citizens and the state, thus security is the wellspring or Genesis for all fundamental and ancillary rights and entitlements or privileges for every citizen in which people willingly surrendered themselves oblige to the government bids to be faithful, loyal, honest, disciplined, law abiding and ardent tax paying citizens and the government in turn oversees the survival of all.
From this perspective, security can be defined as the mechanisms put in place to avoid, prevent, reduce, or resolve violent conflicts, and threats that originate from other states, non-state actors, or structural sociopolitical and economic conditions.
It therefore suffices to say that, security is vital for national cohesion, peace and sustainable development, at such, until the state of Nigerian national insecurity(especially in the northern region) is resolved, no Eastern, Southern or Western graduate should be posted/mobilized to the naked north.
Over the last two decades, avalanche of criticism from a large number of victims and concerned citizens have cracked open the cans-of-worms leeching/amensalizing on the NYSC PROGRAM. Honest and faultless youth observing the compulsory NYSC program have been killed in the regions where they were sent due to religious, ethnic or political violence. ombat the rising cases of insecurity in the country. The latest push is against the backdrop of the recent killings in Abuja, Zamfara, Benue, Plateau, Kaduna, Taraba, Nassarawa and Katsina states by Boko Haram and cattle rustlers. Besides the issue of security, many have questioned the continued importance of the program and have called for a dialogue in this regard, however this is not the object of this public revolt. Nevertheless the integrity and nobility of the program must be upheld by addressing the aforementioned issues.
We hereby strongly demand that within seven working days after this publication, a stay of proceedings (shortdown) be first temporary effected on the ongoing NYSC posting(else we shall resort to secure a court injunction to that effect)till the following as been addressed and effected;
Second, irrespective of “areas of national needs“, that NYSC PORTAL be immediately reprogrammed to mobilize/post all Nigerian graduates (Northern, Eastern, Southern and Western) only to regions with relatively better security particularly the Eastern, Southern and Western region of Nigeria. This will serve a technical penalty for deterrence and call-to-order for the nonchalant states till insecurity is resolved, in that any public corporation/government institutions or private institutions/firm/company/organization who has before now been benefitting human resources from NYSC POSTING should collectively relate their grievances to the state government who should in turn prioritize security in its annual budget and also cry to its father (Federal Government) for instant and long term intervention on the reckless state of volatile insecurity within the confines of its jurisdiction, without prejudice to the provions of SECTION 214(1), 215 & 216, ITEM 17, 38 & 45 FIRST SCHEDULE CFRN 1999.
With a bull’s eye focused and pinpointed on our ground zero – the graduates of all tertiary institutions in Lagos(whose interest we legitimately represent), we demand that if they can not be posted within Lagos has most would prefer, in order not to totally undermine the purpose of “national integration” their postings should be restricted to the southwestern part of Nigeria and never beyond.
