Dealing With Emerging Security Challenges

The National Union of Road Transport
Workers (NURTW) recently an-
nounced plans to secure its parks nationwide. The plans, according to the union, includes the acquisition of metal detectors and mirror screening equipment that would be mounted at the gates of parks to screen passengers before they enter the parks.
Already, the union said it has commenced training of its members in the use of the special security gadgets. This must be a direct response to the Nyanya Park bombing in Abuja that claimed more than 75 lives and several vehicles.
The recent bombings and several security breaches before them, bring to our collective consciousness the reality that security, be it at community or national level is a collective responsibility. The NURTW has presented an example that should be emulated. Like others, they too could have waited for government to do everything.
These needless disasters, draw the lesson closer to us that no matter how  professional and competent security agencies may be,  they cannot do without the collective support of the citizenry who should remain vigilant at all times, report suspects and take steps to secure their offices,  homes, shops, schools, etc.
Indeed, some unguarded comments and actions that tend to denigrate government and its security agencies, particularly the military, are clearly uncalled for and are capable of compromising security.
Since evil thrives where good people fail to speak up, the Boko Haram insurgency is a monster Nigerians collectively created by failing to respond to early warning of the United States that Al Qaeda was getting a foothold in Nigeria some years ago.
We recall steps taken by the Federal Government to secure Abuja in 2010 when it awarded a N76 billion National Public Security Communications System (NPSCS) project that was completed in 2013.
Regrettably, the project which had over 1,000 CCTV (Close Circuit Television) cameras to watch over Abuja against terrorism and other violent crimes in the Federal Capital Territory, had been vandalised under the watchful eyes of the authorities.
The NPSCS, which represented a semblance of a comprehensive security plan for Nigeria, has gone the way of other well-thought out plans. Incidentally, some of these projects leave a hole in the national purse.
The fate of the still-born NPSCS project should interest a responsive and responsible government, especially at this time, to find out why such a multi-billion naira project could not come on stream while national security is being breached freely with resultant huge casualties.
The abduction of over 200 students of Government Secondary School, Chibok in Borno State, to date, remains the high point of the security challenges which has elicited global sympathy and commitment of the international community to not only rescue the girls but also end the siege of terror in Nigeria.
Whether the current insurgency in the country is politically motivated or instigated by external interests, what is most worrisome is the official acknowledgement that Boko Haram, the Islamic fundamentalist organisation that had claimed responsibility for most of these criminalities, had infiltrated the government and the military.
Perhaps, the Federal Government which has promised to end terrorism with the rescue of the Chibok girls should leverage on the international assistance to free the military and government of the Boko Haram elements and give our security and government machinery a clean bill of health.
It, therefore, behoves all stakeholders, individuals, organisations, communities, states and Federal Government to be security conscious, invest in modern security gadgets and training and refrain from playing politics with the security and lives of the citizenry.