By Emmanuel Edukugho
Former Minister of Information and Culture, Professor Sam Oyovbaire has decried the deteriorating state of insecurity in the country, describing it as a “grave situation.”

Speaking with Saturday Vanguard in Lagos, he urged the Federal Government to sit up and face the challenge squarely, not to see governing just for the fun of it.

Excerpts of the interview:

What is your reaction to the prevalent insecurity in the country today considering that you were once a top government functionary?

Common sense should tell us that the nation is in a grave situation today. For 14 years, I was a lecturer at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria and had six children – three born in Zaria and three born abroad.

Oyovbaire

When I looked back, I begin to feel sad because between the period 1972 to 1984 when I left Zaria, things were very normal, moving towards more integration and unity. I helped in the establishment of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) during the regime of General Yakubu Gowon. It’s difficult for me to now grandstand. Even my children cannot go to Zaria, Kaduna, Sokoto, Kano again.

The situation is so bad. Whether the nation is alive, failing or failed is difficult to say at the moment. It is the duty of the state to ensure security of our nation and the citizens. Security is not about armoury, tanks and military weaponry, but it’s about confidence and trust between the people and the community. This is lacking.

How do we restore back this confidence and trust and have renewed sense of security?

As for security, the government should sit up. Those in government should not see governing just for the fun of it. They’ve got the mandate at federal, state and local levels. Security is the responsibility of the leadership. I’m not trying to pontificate.

Everybody should be involved – everybody must come to grip with the situation – academics, politicians, religious leaders, traditional rulers, etc, must come together to find solution to the security challenge. Government must sit up and get to grips with the situation. Not about prayer or praying for the situation to get better and things coming back to normalcy as it used to be in the past.

Are you not worried about what is happening in Jos with the recent massacre in the Plateau?

Yes, the situationin Jos today is frightening. In those days when travelling through Jos to Kaduna, I used to admire the beauty and serenity of the place. I wished to have property there, but today, the story is completely different. I am grateful I didn’t have anything in that part of the country.

We must get to grip with the situation there. It is worrisome. I just hope we will get it right.

It is frightening —Onobrakpeya

World renowned arts icon and erudite scholar, Professor Bruce Onobrakpeya has lamented the state of insecurity that the country has slipped into, which could likely lead to balkanisation of the largest black nation in the world.

Onobrakpeya

In an interview with Saturday Vanguard, he warned of the country going into bits if the authorities don’t stand up to effectively tackle the situation.

How do you see this problem of insecurity in Nigeria?

It’s frightening. All the authorities concerned should stand up and tackle the situation, because it touches everybody. The thing must be curtailed. If not curtailed and allowed to spread, it will balkanise the country.

What do you me by this?

I mean that if the situation goes on like this, it will mean inviting the enemies of the country to come in and thus bring the country into bits. Nigeria is a large country and many people are not happy, they are jealous and so want to help to destabilise us.

Is there any solution to the problem?

There could be divine will, supreme intelligence to come to our aid, and remove the plague from the nation.

Let us look at how the Niger Delta crisis was resolved by late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua and use that method in seeking solution to the insecurity issue we are facing today. Dialogue can be an option. We can sit down to discuss how to get over the problem.

Yar’Adua was able to bring peace to the Niger Delta. We can look at how he did and peace returned to the troubled Niger Delta area.