By Kenneth Atavti
Prominent Nigerians including Vice President Kashim Shettima and ex-Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon yesterday, spoke about the urgent need for the country to put an end to its lingering security challenge bedeveling Nigeria.
Former Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Mariam Aloma Mukhtar and ex-Minister of Communication, Adebayo Shittu spoke in similar way.
While Vice President Shettima assured that the President Bola Tinubu administration was determined to end insecurity, others noted that it would be difficult to attain development in the absence of peace.
Shettima, Gowon, Mukhtar and Shittu spoke in Abuja on Friday at the launch of two books written by former Nigerian Ambassador to the Russia, Professor Abdullahi Y. Shehu.
The books are titled: “Boko Haram and other security challenges in Nigeria: Issues and options for policy” and “Reflections on the 2023 general elections: Lessons learned and the future of democracy in Nigeria.”
The Vice President, who was represented by his Special Adviser on General Duties, Dr. Aliyu Modibbo Umar urged all to support Federal Government’s efforts to address the challenge of insecurity.
While hailing the author, Shettima noted the books prove ready resources for a better understanding of the causes of insecurity in the country and how to address it.
He urged scholars, like the author, to provide credible data on insecurity and related challenges to aid government’s policies and measures.
Shettima said: “For far too long, Nigeria has been under the threat of terrorist organizations like Boko Haram, who seek to erase existence through violence.
“We are also at the mercy of historical revisionists whose hidden agenda is to distort our national narrative. These daunting realities serve as the inspiration behind the books we gather to present today.
“His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has made security a top priority, and so the empirical research provided by scholars like Professor Shehu is essential.
“They serve as indispensable resources for informing policy reforms and driving national development.
“We understand that it is through such intellectual inquiry and data-driven analysis that we can chart a course towards a more secure and prosperous Nigeria,” Shettima said.
Gowon noted: “Boko Haram has been a threat, perhaps the major threat to the peace and development of Nigeria after the civil war.
“Boko Haram has indeed created a serious problem. After the civil war, l remember saying, I hope that we will not experience what we went through during that period again. Unfortunately, Boko Haram appeared.”
