A policy making research institution, African Heritage Institute, (Afriheritage) on Thursday, held its 2021 first edition of the Big Ideas Podium, conference, with participants proffering suggestions on how to contain the issues of armed banditry and other security challenges in the country.
In his keynote address, at the event held virtually with small physical presence at the Institute’s Conference Hall , Enugu, the Guest speaker, a security expert and Executive Director, African Network for Peace Building, Accra, Ghana, Dr Chukwuemeka Eze, who spoke on the Theme, : “Trend and Dynamics of Armed Banditry: Making Sense of the Problems” listed five major areas to focus on in tackling the problems.
He said that the Federal Government must rise up to show leadership and political will in order to check the spillover of the current happenings in Nigeria to other countries in Africa.
Eze noted that the issue of insecurity in Nigeria “is not what guns can solve. Let’s think about security to mean the happiness of the people”, he said.
He said people were marginalised, there is problem of unemployment, people’s sources of livelihood destroyed, not until these problems were solved, the issue of security in Nigeria will linger on to the point there may be personnel to be employed.
In his presentation, on ” Impact on Communities , human life and socio-economic development “, a speaker, Engr. Umar Ibrahim of the Kano Electricity Distribution Company, said that people in Kano, Borno, Kaduna ,Taraba,Zamfara and some other states had lost their means of livelihood , the armed bandits were in the forest
Earlier in a welcome address, the Executive Director, AfriHeritage, Professor Ufo Okeke -Uzodike said that:”Nigeria’s leadership (collectively) have a responsibility to explain to Nigerians why average citizens cannot carry on with their already difficult lives without fears about personal safety and basic human security concerns”.
The Executive Director wondered why the Nigerian children and their parents should should worry about personal safety in the market or at schools, churches and other places of worship,. He also wondered why Nigerian farmers worry about their personal safety from reputed hoodlums or bandits as they attend to their farms of livestock.
“Today, we live in an environment where prices are increasing sharpy for basic commodities despite the fact that joblessness, severe poverty, desperation and hopelessness are rising sharply for many citizens across Nigeria,”he said.
Professor Okeke-Uzodike said that over the past three years, the Big Ideas Podium has focused on wideOo diversity of issues, which include, issues on Economic growth, education, leadership, Human Rights , Human Capital Development in the Age of COVID-19, etc .
“We presupposed good leadership nationally and across each state . We dared to dream because we know that good leadership is not only a catalyst for cathartic change, but also for social integration and transformative development.
“Where leadership is bad , it can create dysfunctional and conflict. It can also destroy the factors that underpin social justice , positive change , national prosperity, peace and sustainable development, ” he said
He thanked the Director General of the Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPCR), Ministry of Foreign Affairs , noting that :”This is a first instance where unforced collaboration with a peer organization has been feasible for AfriHeritage.”
In a remark, the Director General, Institute for Peace and Conflicts Resolution (IPCR)., Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Dr Bakut Tswah Bakut said that IPCR was established in January, 2000, primarily as a research think- tank and an agent of government to strengthen Nigeria’s capacity for the promotion of peace, conflict prevention, management and resolution in Nigeria and Africa. ‘Since then we have played very vital roles in most of the peace processes in Nigeria and Africa.”
He lamented that the issue and cases of conflict have been on the increase in developing countries of the world since 1950s, especially in recent times Africa, he said has been vulnerable to incessant conflicts which have resulted to unimaginable casualties and human misery.
Bakut said that that is why the Institute for peace and conflict resolution partnered with the Afriheritage with an aim of iinterogating and finding lasting solutions to the new trends of conflict in the country. .
He said that “Banditry is the biggest threats to safety and security in Nigetia.
He said that “events of this nature are good opportunities to fill the gaps and bring to fire thorough in-depth research and experience that can bring out the sense in this multi Hydra problem”
