Nation
Self-Defence: Minister Calling For Pure Anarchy, Ex-DSS Director Warns
A former Director of the Department of State Services, Mike Ejiofor, says the Minister of Defence, Maj. Gen. Bashir Magashi (rtd), was calling for “pure anarchy” with his recent comment that Nigerians should defend themselves amid the security challenges in the country.
Ejiofor spoke, yesterday while fielding questions from newsmen in Abuja.
The minister had last Wednesday said, “It is the responsibility of everybody to keep alert and to find safety when necessary. But we shouldn’t be cowards.
“At times, the bandits will only come with about three rounds of ammunition, when they fire shots everybody runs. In our younger days, we stand to fight any aggression coming for us.”
But reacting, Ejiofor stressed that the citizens have already surrendered their rights to defend themselves to the government and the government has the constitutional responsibility to ensure the security of lives and properties in Nigeria.
He said, “I want to believe that the minister of defence didn’t mean what he said. Perhaps, it was a slip of (the) tongue because what he is calling for is pure anarchy.
“Government’s responsibility is to protect lives and properties. It is a social contract that we have now surrendered our rights to government to protect.
“Somebody saying people should start defending themselves is an admission of complete failure of government. Such statement should be coming from non-society organisations and definitely not government functionaries.”
The security expert also said criminal elements attacking farmers and residents of host communities are not herders but militias who go about wielding sophisticated weapons.
He lamented the proliferation of fire arms in Nigeria, saying the arms in Nigeria are more than all the ammunition in West Africa.
Ejiofor also called for the liberalisation of fire arms in the country.
The former DSS director further said the Nigeria Police Force lacked the manpower and resources to effectively combat crimes.
He, therefore, urged state governments to protect lives through peculiar security outfits like the Amotekun Corps, amongst others.
The Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) has commemorated the 15th anniversary of the release of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Environmental Assessment Report on Ogoniland, reaffirming its commitment to restoring the environment and improving the livelihoods of affected communities.
In a statement signed by the Project Coordinator, Prof Nenibarini Zabbey, to commemorate the anniversary, HYPREP described the anniversary as a significant milestone in Nigeria’s environmental restoration efforts, noting that the project has made remarkable progress in implementing the recommendations of the landmark UNEP report released on August 4, 2011.
The UNEP report had revealed extensive oil pollution across Ogoniland, severe environmental degradation, and serious public health risks resulting from decades of petroleum operations. It also recommended an initial $1 billion fund to commence the cleanup of the affected communities.
According to HYPREP, the Federal Government formally launched the Ogoni clean-up in 2016, while the Project Coordination Office was established in 2017 to drive the implementation of UNEP’s recommendations.
Zabbey said the current administration has continued to prioritise the project under the Renewed Hope Agenda.
Providing an update on the cleanup, the Project Coordinator disclosed that 30 of the 65 contaminated sites identified by UNEP have been fully remediated, while work is ongoing at several medium- and high-risk locations. It also stated that more than 1.5 million mangrove seedlings have been planted as part of what it described as the world’s largest restoration of oil-degraded mangroves, with over 1,000 hectares of shoreline already rehabilitated.
Zabbey further revealed that 49 Ogoni communities have been connected to potable water schemes through multiple water projects and booster stations aimed at providing safe drinking water across the region.
In the health sector, he said the 100-bed Ogoni Specialist Hospital in Kpite and the 43-bed Cottage Hospital in Buan are nearing completion, adding that several existing health facilities have been upgraded with modern medical equipment, while five ambulances have been donated to improve emergency healthcare services. The Project Coordinator also disclosed that a three-year human health biomonitoring study is being conducted in collaboration with the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC).
On economic empowerment, Zabbey stated that the Project has created more than 8,000 direct jobs and trained thousands of Ogoni youths and women in various vocational and technical skills, including software development, cybersecurity, aviation, commercial diving, seafaring, mechatronics, and creative arts. The project also reported awarding scholarships to more than 1,000 students, providing grants to small businesses, and supporting persons living with special needs through skills acquisition programmes.
The statement further highlighted ongoing legacy projects, including the Ogoni Power Project and the Centre of Excellence for Environmental Restoration, which it said is about 96 per cent complete. HYPREP also welcomed the recent designation of the Ogoni Wetland as a Ramsar Site of International Importance and pledged to continue promoting biodiversity conservation and sustainable management of the ecosystem.
Marking the anniversary, Zabbey said the progress achieved over the past 15 years demonstrates the collective commitment of government, development partners, stakeholders, and local communities to restoring Ogoniland. He called for renewed collaboration to sustain the cleanup effort, promote environmental sustainability, and support the long-term development of the region. 3