The Osun State Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Kolapo Alimi, has called on politicians to stop trivializing national security by turning it into a subject of partisan debate.
He warned that insecurity has no political, ethnic, or religious boundaries and must be treated as a collective national priority.
Alimi made the remarks on Monday during the opening ceremony of the 2025 Press Week of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Osun State Council, held in Osogbo.
He described the rising cases of kidnapping, banditry, and violent crime as consequences of the nation’s over-politicised governance system.
“We have politicised every aspect of our lives, including security, and that is why we are experiencing incessant security breaches,” he said. “Armed robbers and kidnappers don’t care about your party, tribe, or religion. Insecurity can affect anyone.”
The commissioner urged leaders at all levels to prioritise competence when appointing security managers rather than promoting ethnic or political bias.
“If it is a Hausa man who can give us adequate security, saddle him with the responsibility. If it is an Igbo or Yoruba man, let him do it. The benefit will be for everyone,” he added.
Delivering the keynote lecture titled “Governance and Security in Nigeria: Progress, Challenges, and Future Directions,” Professor Anthony Kola-Olusanya of Osun State University said Nigeria’s security crisis is a direct outcome of governance failures.
He argued that the nation suffers from strong individuals but weak institutions, adding that corruption, poor leadership, and systemic inequality have deepened insecurity.
“We excel at diagnosing problems but fail at solving them,” he said. “A hungry citizen is vulnerable; a neglected community is a ticking time bomb.”
Professor Kola-Olusanya called for decentralised security architecture, stronger institutions, and policies that address poverty, unemployment, and social injustice, key drivers of insecurity.
Earlier, Osun NUJ Chairman, Comrade Wasiu Ajadosu, commended the federal government’s renewed strategies in tackling insecurity but urged sustained collaboration between the media and security agencies.
(Western Post)
