*Knocks govs for diverting security votes
Irked by the increasing rate of insecurity across the country, the Muslim Media Watch Group of Nigeria, MMWG has berated the federal government for recruitment shortage in the Police Force, condemning a situation whereby 10,000 personnel only were recruited into the Police since 2020.
This is even as it called on the state governors to “channel their monthly security votes to the proper maintenance of security in their states instead of diverting it for personal and political benefits only in-order to engender sustainable crime-free society.”
The group, in a statement issued on Sunday to mark the Eid-el-Kabir festival by the Muslims and jointly signed by its National Coordinator, Alhaji Ibrahim Abdullahi and National Missioner, Sheikh Abu Sheriff, advised that the 10,000 number of policemen enlisted since 2020 should henceforth be recruited and trained quarterly every year till 2027 to meet the nation’s requirement in the area of manpower for Police.
It also stressed the need for manpower increase in the military and other security agencies, including the Intelligence Corps to stem and eventual stoppage of the heightened insecurity across the country.
MMWG noted that “consistent recruitment and training of qualified and dedicated young ones into the security agencies, including Intelligence Corps would bridge the gap created by shortage of personnel leading to breakdown of law and order.”
While describing the recent criminal attacks in Kuje Correctional Centre in the Federal Capital Territory and other worrisome loss of lives across some states due to the activities of terrorists, bandits and kidnappers, it charged the federal and state governments to ensure proper security of lives and properties in the country.
The group specifically called for probe on what led to alleged withdrawal of some security personnel from the Correctional Centre 24 hours before the terrorists struck so as to know those that are culpable.
On shortage of electricity and fuel supply in Nigeria, it condemned “the questionable funds being spent by the federal government to subsidise fuel and electricity even after the electricity was handed-over to private concerns since 2014”, adding that lack of electricity has been contributing seriously to the socio-economic and industrial problems facing the nation.
MMWG, however, said it supports the call for probe of humongous funds going into fuel subsidy by the federal government in order to unravel the scam in the sector, pointing out that any anti-corruption fight that fails to cover fuel subsidy and epileptic power supply would be of no meaning to Nigerians.
Similarly, the group called on President Muhammadu Buhari to “investigate and punish the cartel and Chief Executives allegedly selling jobs in the country, noting that long before he came to power, appointments into federal public service and some juicy federal companies and parastatals are allegedly and reportedly being sold.”
“It’s time for President Muhammadu Buhari to take the war on corruption to that angle now to stop the bad image being created for his administration,” the group stated.
