BY CHAMBERLAIN ODEY, JOS – British Envoy and Minister for Africa, James Duddridge has declared that some non-negotiable values such as autochthony, ethnography, demography, economy, and religion are critical in determining a new, peaceful, and harmonious Nigeria
Duddridge also said that global partnership of World Powers, rather than local and indigenous options, remain key and viable alternatives towards combating on-going security challenges in Nigeria.
This is just as the Envoy noted the on-going security problems in the country are “massively complex”, thus no partnership can easily resolve such multiplicity of problems.
Duddridge, who stated these while answering questions from newsmen, noted that Nigeria’s security problems are not just about intelligence and security, and military structure, but are linked to issues such as society, humanitarian support, and education.
According to him; “As one of the key reasons why partnerships will not work in resolving the problems, the issues of society, humanitarian support, and education must be re-appraised and factored into policy and programming of counter terrorism”.
It will be recalled that the Advent of British ‘sphere of influence’ in Africa for trade interests and territorial rights identified five uniquely different “societies” that eventually became “Nigeria” under British colonialism.
The British Minister for Africa noted that the earlier amalgamation of Nigeria along mutually exclusive treaties had their shortcomings and time bombs, and that could be the bane of local partnerships to counter insecurity in Nigeria today.
In a virtual meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari on April 22, 2021, current US Secretary of State, Anthony Blinke described the security problems of Nigeria as “extraordinary”.
