Insecurity: Nigeria Now A Laughing Stock – T Y Danjuma
Nigeria’s former Chief of Defence Staff, General Theophilus Y. Danjuma (rtd), says the seemingly intractable security challenges have now made the country a laughing stock and a disgrace to the comity of nations.
Consequently, he said urgent steps must be taken to address the security challenges facing the country to reverse the unfortunate situation where Nigeria has become a war front and ensure the safety of lives and property nationwide.
Speaking at the annual Nwonyo International Fishing and Cultural Festival in Ibbi Local Government Area of Taraba State on Friday, General Danjuma said; “The Nigerian authority must take urgent measures to redeem the battered image of the country by addressing the security challenges confronting the nation”
According to him, no one, especially foreigners, would be willing to make any country an investment destination or visit tourist sites when their safety and security were not guaranteed, adding; “No person or group of persons will want to come to our state or country if we continue to kill and butcher ourselves.”
General Danjuma, who was also the Minister of Defence under President Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration, while appealing to Nigerians to be their brother’s keeper and cease killing one another, to attract foreign investors from across the world, insisted that the ugly situation required immediate attention from the government.
For him, all hands must be on deck to put “the right pegs in the right holes”, maintaining that; “Those in positions of authority must work hard to make the country safe for all Nigerians including foreigners before we could attract more and more investors into the country
“If we continue to make our roads unsafe for people to move around, our dreams of making Nwonyo fishing and cultural festival an international festival, can not be achieved. Sadly, Nigeria as a nation has become a laughing stock following the security challenges.
“As the country is currently, we are a disgrace to the whole world and therefore we must redeem our image and put our house in order because right now we have become a laughing stock to the whole world,” the retired Army General further said, adding; “There is no sane foreign person that will come to our country to celebrate with us if we continue to kill each other and make our roads unsafe for people to move around.”
“The country is a war front where our people are against our people. We must put our house in order. We must stop killing each other. We must make our roads safe. We must stop kidnappings. If we are expecting this festival to be truly international, we must have peace in our state and throughout the country”, he admonished
The former Defence Minister, while commending the Taraba state government for revitalizing the festival after 14 years in the doldrums, called for sustained efforts to ensure its success, noting that the festival serves not only as a platform to showcase Jukun cultural values but also as a convergence point for diverse communities.
In his remarks at the occasion, Governor Ahmadu Fintiri of Adamawa State assured that his administration would not relent in working round the clock to foster cooperation and robust partnership between his state and the Taraba State Government.
Describing the event as a uniting factor among the neighbouring states, he also assured that Adamawa State was ready to partner with Taraba state for the sustenance and thriving of the international fishing festival.
On his part, the host and Taraba State Governor, Dr Agbu Kefas, said the Nwonyo International Fishing and Cultural Festival was revived to showcase Taraba’s rich cultural heritage to the world.
He said his administration would not spare any effort at identifying and reviving all cultural festivals that were once celebrated to unite the various ethnic groups across the state and beyond.
