Insecurity; High hurdle to economic growth

As a result of growing insecurity in the country, the Federal Government needs to be decisive in dealing with this challenge currently portraying the nation in bad light in order to safeguard life, property and attract foreign investors into the country, writes ALEXANDER CHIEJINA

Across the globe, investors are faced with the task of making business decisions that would not only bring about business growth but also contribute toward the economy of any nation where their investments are.

With recent reports by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development benchmark (UNCTAD) which show that about $1.4trillion investment capital circulates globally, this figure indicates that capital in the global economy is volatile with a lot of indicators considered by investors before they decide to invest in one country or the other. One of such index is security.

As insecurity is a risk factor which investors all over the world dread, this uncertainty is not only considered a bad omen for business, it sends warning signals to investors to take their investible fund to another country where there is adequate or a semblance of security.

While the free flow of capital across national borders don’t depend solely on what political leaders tell the rest of the world, they too ensure that measures are in place to correct the negative impressions occasioned by insecurity which might place the nation’s economy in danger and subsequently to ruins.

As Nigeria's internal security remains extremely volatile following a spate of recent shootings, bombings and suicide assaults in the northern cities of Damaturu, the Yobe State capital and in Maiduguri, Borno State, and other parts of the country, this climate of uncertainty has created a dangerous trend that had before now remained alien in the nation’s index of social crimes.

The scene of a bomb blast in Abuja, October 1, 2010.

With Boko Haram, colloquially translated into ‘Western education is sin,’ and which the sect calls itself Jama'atul Alhul Sunnah Lidda'wati wal jihad, or ‘people committed to the propagation of the prophet's teachings and jihad’, claiming responsibility of several attacks on civilians and military installations in the country, the religious sect has threatened to cause more havoc on the nation’s security arrangement.

Incidentally, the group not only carries out their threat, infuriating Nigerians in the process, it also shows the ineptitude of security agencies of addressing the situation. Until now, such occurrence had been associated with distant lands such as Iraq, Iran, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Middle-East, among others.

Recent attacks by Boko Haram in Yobe state

 With the turn of events, bomb attacks has been introduced into the new wave of violence not only to the chagrin of Nigerians, it has seemingly become a regular trend living in their trail tears and blood from victims and their relations. Incidentally, while the merchants of death appear to be having their way, no one has so far been tried and convicted on the matter.

As the spate of insecurity continues to wreck the land, Nigerians are worried that the country is gradually slipping inexorably into a state of social instability which would not only scare away potential investors but could further affect business activities across the country.

Commenting on the issue, Chukwudi Owo, president and chief executive, ResourceField Incorporated, a policy management consultancy and real estate company, disclosed that the failure of previous government to find out the cause of religion induced crisis but rather, it was swept under the carpet and has resurfaced today with the name ‘Boko Haram’; escalating violence through bombings and wasting valuable lives and investments.

While noting that looking strictly at Boko Haram, one will see ‘Almajiris’; people taken away from formal education system which ought not to be, Owo maintained that any government should ensure that its citizens acquire basic primary and secondary education.

In his words, “Due to poverty, unemployment and their socialisation processes, these youths have grown up to hate western education, turning them against the country. The effect is that lives are being wasted while foreign investors now see Nigeria as a high risk country to invest in. The truth is that investors don’t discriminate; they go to where their investments will grow. These are investors who can create jobs for our teeming youths.

“Sadly, the crisis in the country is taking its toll on businesses. Our company was about to sign a business funding investment in the real estate sector to the tune of 1.2billion dollars, to build houses in Abuja and Lagos, but the independence day bombing last year scared the investors away. Several other such investments have been lost to the insecurity and this does not augur well for the country.

Lending his view, Ona Ekhomu, a policy analyst and security consultant, feels that insecurity will have a very negative effect on foreign direct investment (FDI). While stating that insecurity and FDI have negative correlation, Ekhomu disclosed that with the rate of insecurity in Nigeria, in terms of investment flow, the uncertainty is too high.

“Foreign investors will not like to put their money in long term investments because of insecurity. They would rather consider short term investments. Insecurity discourages investment flows. For investment to come, there must be security for investors and their investments. The state of bombings is not good for Nigeria’s image and branding because all efforts to brand Nigeria without security amounts to nothing. It is dangerous because we will record investment outflow and not inflow,” Ekhomu, who is the chairman, Trans-World Security, stated.

Echoing the sentiment of Ekhomu, Frank Nweke Jnr, director-general, Nigeria Economic Summit Group (NESG), noted that the efforts by the President Goodluck Jonathan-administration to attract foreign investment and transform the economy will come to nothing if the spate of insecurity does not cease, as no foreign investor will invest in an unsecured environment.

“We must see the implications of what had happened and has happened again. We are talking of transforming the economy. We are talking of changing our perception in the international community. We are talking of bringing in more investors. While it is a nice thing to do, we also have to see the link between security and investment. Even local investors will not go to places that are not secure,” Nweke advised.

Lawmakers and insecurity issues

In view of rising insecurity in the country which is gradually spreading like a ‘wild fire’, Enyinnaya Abaribe, chairman, Senate Committee on Information, Media and Public Affairs, who spoke with journalists at the end of its sitting last week, revealed that the session offered the Upper Chamber of the National Assembly time to review security situation in the country and efforts made by government to address the problems.

According to Abaribe, “The executive session was mainly concerned with matters of national security. All of us are aware of the situation of things today in Nigeria and we want to also let you know that the National Assembly will continue to engage with the executives with regards to national security. I think the discussion is on-going to ensure that each and every one of us lives in Nigeria that is free from the current problem that we are undergoing and we hope that every Nigerian will be more concerned about our security and that is exactly what we are doing.”

President Goodluck Jonathan,

The Senate committee chairman on media added that the meeting also involved reappraisal of methods used by the security operatives and issues of equipment for dealing with the new trend of terrorism.

“This discussion has been on-going and part of what we did today at the executive session was a review of all these measures that are being taken. I do not think that any measure that is being taken is taken very lightly. I think that the security agencies are doing good jobs. I don’t think they only look under the cars, they also look at the booth, sometimes asking you to step out and they open the bonnet and check everything.

“I think also that there is an ongoing review which means that the measures will continue to be upgraded and improved with time. We are asking for a little patience and we know that things will get better. This is a new phenomenon that has just come to Nigeria and I am sure that the security agencies will handle the situation with time,” he noted.

Meanwhile, talks are ongoing by federal lawmakers to establish a special security fund aimed at assisting the military fight the radical Islamist group Boko Haram. Leaders at the Upper chamber of the National Assembly say the special security fund will enable Nigerian Armed Forces to better combat violence blamed on the Boko Haram sect.

At the moment, several joint military task forces have been established in northern states over the last year in response to a series of bombings and shootings. According to Goerge Sekibo, chairman, Senate Committee on Defence, disclosed that spending on those task forces was not part of the budget.

“We have not envisaged them in the budget. They are not. And then the military is coming out to fight about them. Now if you don't make funds available in the budget, and then such challenges continue or other forms (of violence) come up, you have to now apply for money, look for money, destroying other areas of the budget before you are going to tackle those matters,” Sekibo concluded.

The Boko Haram set is believed to be responsible for coordinated attacks on police stations, churches, and an army base in small towns across northern Nigeria earlier this month that killed more than 100 people. The group also claimed responsibility for the August bombing of the United Nations headquarters in Abuja that killed 23 people.

The Islamic sect says it is fighting for the establishment of a separate Sharia-led nation in northern Nigeria and has refused overtures to open talks with the government, citing the military build-up in the north.

Addressing insecurity challenge

Analysts have expressed concern at the level of confidence with which Boko Haram claim responsibility for its dastardly acts. According to them, the Nigerian state has by acts of commission and omission, encouraged impunity and lawlessness, largely by politicising religion in violation of the secular principle enshrined in successive constitutions, and by failing to punish offenders who take the laws into their own hands, either in furtherance of religious extremism or as communal agitators. Today, the sect is openly challenging the state and exploding bombs on a regular basis in a murderous terror campaign.

The President has promised the transformation of the Nigerian economy, and a significant creation of employment. This will not happen unless he, the President, is decisive in his actions, disciplined in his approach, and painstaking in the operations of his presidency.

For Owo, chief executive, ResourceField Incorporated, “The government needs to stop paying lip service to the insecurity problems in the country. They must first recognise it and then begin to consciously solve the problem. There is nothing wrong in having a central security unit which can coordinate all the intelligence of security agencies.

“There is the need for the country to have leaders with fire in their bellies; leaders who are desperate to change the lives of the people. It is sad that we are just complacent with what we have and we are not desperate for change; this country needs change desperately and we need leaders who can deliver.”

Also lending his view, John Idumange, deputy president, Niger Delta Integrity Group, believes that President Goodluck Jonathan should acknowledge the failure of the security agencies, hence, the need for complete overhaul of security agencies in the county to pre-empt these security breaches.

While deploring the failure of the intelligence services to contain the rising security breaches, Idumanga noted that the spate of bombings has once more brought to the limelight the need for Sovereign National Conference.

“Until these structural distortions and anomalies are addressed, the monster of insecurity will loom large and Nigeria will once more be listed as a terrorist nation. Mr. President has to act decisively to execute his office, and this can be achieved by implementing the anti-terrorism law and punish culprits of such heinous crimes capable of causing instability in the nation,” Idumange opined.

In the same vein, the Federal Government should overhaul its security apparatus. It is not enough to sack security chiefs. What is required is a redesign of the security architecture in Nigeria. This calls for more effective intelligence gathering, processing and execution. Besides, the FG should strengthen the institutional capacity of the security agencies. Once the capacity of our security agencies is built, they will become not only proactive in the design of security architecture but also more effective in their operations.

According to him, “it is high time security is taken seriously in the country. It is not a job to be done by ill-equipped security agents. Our perception of security should align with international standards. There is no point sending our security agents to confront terrorists who have been trained with the most sophisticated technology. Modern security demands full technology mobilisation options.”

QUOTE: The FG should overhaul its security apparatus. It is not enough to sack security chiefs; what is required is a redesign of the security architecture in Nigeria. This calls for more effective intelligence gathering, processing and execution. Besides, the FG should strengthen the institutional capacity of the security agencies.

FG strategy to resolve Boko Haram

In recent times, the nation’s internal security has continued to remain extremely volatile following spate of shootings, bombings and suicide assaults in several parts of the country, especially northern Nigeria.

Hardly does a week passes without reports of attacks or threats putting the security agencies on high alert. Some Nigerians believe that it was due to palpable fear that compelled the most populous country in Africa to hold a low profile National Day in October this year following a bomb blast which happened in the nation’s capital a year ago.

With Boko Haram claiming responsibility for most attacks in the country, Nigerians are yet to comprehend what the Federal Government is doing to defeat the sect, whose capacity is growing , in a bid to save  the nation’s economic transformation agenda.

Recent attack in Damaturu, the Yobe State capital resulted in the death of 136 people - the deadliest and even as attacks in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital continues unabated. These killings have been linked to the Islamist group, Boko Haram.

Sadly, of the 136 people who died, majority were reportedly male while 17 others got injured during the imbroglio. This latest wave of attacks has targeted police stations, banks, military installations, and churches and mosques, reinforcing the impression that a mixture of political, economical and religious agendas motivated the attackers.

A cursory look at government's responses shows that it has found it difficult to eradicate this religious sect. More worrisome is the fact that the group seems to be reinventing itself and its strategies. It has increasingly embraced suicide bombing; a strategy that ensures concealed attacks to inflict casualties.

As the Federal Government deploying several response mechanisms, the latest of which is the door-to-door security search for weapons, particularly, in the northeastern state of Borno, but this seems to have met a brick wall in addressing the insecurity challenge.

The initiative follows the expiration of the deadline for amnesty for those who would have surrendered their arms by October 31. Previously, the government initiated the controversial proposal to grant amnesty to Boko Haram. When the move did not work, it followed it up with another controversial attempt at negotiations.

Interestingly, a move to launch an inquiry into the group's support base and supposed links with Nigerian political actors was used as a decoy. Recently, government engaged the services of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, in what turned out to be a failed mediation that resulted in the death of Babakura Baba Fugu, a Boko Haram leader, alongside reprisal attack by other members of the sect.

With no end in sight toward solving the insecurity challenge, there came the deployment of military personnel across the country with a mandate to deal with the increasing security challenges around ethnic and religious violence, violent crimes and terrorist activities.

Furthermore, the Federal Government then set up the Presidential Committee on Security Challenges in the North-East Zone, which submitted its report in late September 2011. The committee found out, among others that, the increasing violence was a result of weak governance and failure to deliver services to the people, especially against the backdrop of huge resources accruing to government.

According to Usman Gatimare, chairman, Presidential Committee on Security Challenges in North-East Zone of Nigeria, “the report also observed that the security agencies had not been able to contain the violence because of palpable operational lapses, rivalry, under-funding, under-equipment and lack of collaboration between the various security agencies.”

The Presidential Committee, however, observed that some politicians and certain individuals contributed to the lingering violence by funding private militias, using them, and then sometimes dumping them.  This created a problem because the groups were not only trained but also had dangerous weapons.

The Presidential Committee again proposed amnesty to members of Boko Haram who are willing to surrender and a comprehensive socio-economic strategy to address people's needs. While the Nigerian government took up the amnesty proposal, it again raised controversy with some arguing that it would not succeed due to the sect's radical views.

The expiration of the government's amnesty offer on October 31 led to the door-to-door security search; whether the door-to-door search is left for time to tell.  Meanwhile, judging from the incessant attacks, many Nigerians believe that the present government has not yet found a clear answer to the radical violent militancy phenomenon. Unfortunately, the nation’s politics has thrived on strong patronage networks and rampant corruption thus making it difficult for the government to be speedily responsive to people's needs.

With the United States of America and other intelligence sources suggesting that Boko Haram members have been trained outside Nigeria and have connections with Al Qaeda, the government will need to move quickly to seize the moral and political legitimacy, especially in regions where young people are willing to join insurgents for lack of better socio-economic opportunities. Hard evidence is not yet available as to how consolidated are the external links of the sect but three indications could help making sense of the foreign dimension of the sect's activities.

For Bode Adediji, president, Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers (NIESV), it will be totally unpatriotic of anybody either in government to pretend as if he or she does not know why we have this serious insecurity situation in the country

“If politicians are behind the spate of this reckless and sporadic violence then, it is time for Nigerians to talk. You cannot govern a country through the gateway of destruction. Power is transient, you have today, you lose it to somebody else tomorrow, but the nation continues. I will urge the government to take a dispassionate look at the fundamental causes of these violent eruptions in certain parts of the country and reassure not only Nigerians but the entire international community that this country in my own opinion is a potentially great country. We are only passing through some temporary setbacks. We should not allow this violence to actually destabilise the country on a large scale,” Adediji stated.

It is the belief of many that Boko Haram sect should be underestimated and its threat to take the fight southward needs to be dealt with carefully. The danger here will not only be the deterioration of the precarious post-amnesty environment in the Niger-Delta but also retaliation from Niger-Delta militants who are looking for an opportunity to attack Boko Haram.

Careful, balanced yet decisive actions are needed for President Goodluck Jonathan to defeat the skepticism about his ability to ensure peace and security of citizens and protect Nigeria's territorial integrity. A victory may not necessarily mean the destruction of the insurgent fighters but rather the winning of the hearts and minds of Nigerians through the restoration of state authority.

Government will not only need to increase its intelligence gathering and preventive measures, but also use local influential individuals to pacify the groups and, much more importantly, address the local historical grievances that have produced the "push" and "pull" factors.