The presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi has disclosed that he would create a new security ministry to tackle inseccurty in the country.
Newsonline reports that the former governor of Anambra State stated this while speaking on the topic, Prospects of Transformatmative Governance in Nigeria, at Harvard University, United States, on Wednesday.
The Labour Party presidential candidate while addressing security as one of his agenda in transforming the country said, “We will tweak the security architecture, which will entail reform of the security sector and governance. We will Restructure, Re-equip and Reorient the Nigerian Police: This will include 3 level policing- Federal, state and community.”
In a statement titled “My Conversation on Prospects of Transformative Governance in Nigeria at Harvard University USA”, Obi said his administration will offer a new brand of transformative and purposeful leadership.
READ ALSO: Handbag: Police Summons Atiku’s Wife Over Abuse Of Orderly
He added, “We will build a Compact, Robust and Ready Mobile Police Force with Rapid Response Deployment capabilities; and Legislate the Establishment of State Police based on Community policing.
“We will raise the population-to-police officer ratio to a higher level.
“A properly manned, equipped and technologically driven security system with particular emphasis on re-focusing the military on external threats and border protection and police on internal security threats and law enforcement; swift prosecution of criminals, bandits and terrorists; enhanced coordination among security agencies; and upholding the rule of law.
“Integrate the activities of the National Intelligence and Security Agencies by establishing a Central Reporting Intelligence loop under the authority of the Minister of National and Homeland Security.
“Establish a National Command and Control Coordination Center for the efficient management of actionable intelligence, resource allocation and force deployment. Membership should consist of representatives of all security agencies on a need-to-know basis.
Peter Obi emphasized that “The overall goal of my administration shall be to streamline governance, make it more responsive, transformative, effective, less transactional, and therefore efficient and cost-effective.”
The former Anambra governor on oil theft said, “The oil theft is not petty pilfering. It is organized crime by a syndicate that involves a certain degree of sophisticated intelligence and logistical arrangement. We must admit that oil theft is happening because there is domestic and external collusion.
The government and the people have the collective responsibility to protect national assets. On my watch those responsibilities will be accorded high priority.”
Obi on the role of Nigeria in West Africa and Africa security added, “Foreign and National Security policy initiatives, might in the long term entail rebuilding, repositioning and sustaining ECOMOG, as the arrowhead of a West African Security partnership.
“This is to counter terrorist threats and international subversion of the sovereignty of the West African region of which Nigeria must re-establish her place as a regional power.
The Nigerian youths’ choice candidate ahead of the 2023 general election further added, “We are challenged by high youth unemployment, which stands at 33.3%; 54% for the youth; and 20 million out-of-school-children. We must give this country back to the Nigerian youths. Half of our 200 million people are below the age of 30.
“Harnessing our national youth strength and demographic dividends intelligently, must start with curbing the high youth unemployment and creating funding access to enable our youths become entrepreneurs and drivers of our Small and Medium Scale enterprises (SMEs).”
Speaking on corruption which has held the most populated black nation in the world, Peter Obi said, “We will have zero tolerance for corruption; block leakages and cut the cost of governance. Our total commitment to transparency and accountability in government business is the only credible way to achieve limited to zero corruption.
“We will enforce the legal framework protecting foreign investors and their indigenous partners. This is the only way to tamper monopoly and capital flight.”
