The Presidential candidate of the Labour Party for the 2023 election, Peter Obi, has outlined how he will fight the insecurity ravaging most parts of Nigeria.
POLITICS NIGERIA reports that Obi, a former governor of Anambra State, is one of the frontline candidates in the coming election.
Sharing his ideas via his verified Twitter on Sunday, the presidential hopeful said if the Labour Party wins the 2023 election, he will reform the security sector.
“A well-trained and professional police officer will not engage police brutality. However, weak institutions tend to give rise to impunity. Police officers who abuse human rights or ordered liberties must be held accountable,” Obi said.
“We will embark on immediate and intrusive security sector reform and governance (SSRG).
“Relatedly, we must improve the functioning and effectiveness of the police by strengthening their civilian oversight as well as increasing their strength, materiel, financial allocation and enhanced professional training.
“Our national policing strength must be relative to our national population and meet global standards.
“We will desist from using Nigerian military for purely civilian police duties.”
“The relevant security institutions and agencies exist. The supporting national security enabling documents and strategies also exist. The problem is with policy coherence, coordination and implementation.
“There is, for instance, no lead agency for counter-terrorism or counter-insurgency. That will change under my Presidency.
“We will tweak the security architecture, by offering each arm or agency lead in areas where they have comparative advantage.
“Security will be in 4 parts: reforming the security sector, with particular emphasis on re-focusing the military on external threats and border protection and police on internal security threats and law enforcement; swift prosecution of criminals, bandits and terrorists; enhanced coordination among security agencies; and upholding the rule of law.”
Thousands of Nigerians have been killed by terrorists who have also taken over some local governments in the north-eastern, north-western, and south-eastern states in an insurgency seen by many as one of the inadequacies of President Muhammadu Buhari and his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC).
