Tinubu has political will ‘in abundance’ — Oshiomhole

Senator representing Edo North, Adams Oshiomhole, says President Bola Tinubu does not lack the political will to end insecurity in Nigeria, insisting that the administration has provided the resources and leadership required to secure the country.

Oshiomhole spoke on Friday in Abuja at the book launch of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps’ Federal Capital Territory Commandant, Olusola Odumosu, where he dismissed claims that the executive arm has failed to prioritise security. The former Edo State governor said the President has political will “in abundance,” citing his financial commitments and administrative actions as evidence of his resolve.

He noted that the President had approved a supplementary budget at the National Assembly to fund security operations and asked what more would be required to demonstrate political will. He also pointed to Tinubu’s declaration of a state of emergency and the replacement of former service chiefs as proof of decisive action, adding that sacking security chiefs was no easy task given the entrenched challenges involved.

Oshiomhole urged politicians, including those in the opposition, to treat security as a matter that transcends party lines, stressing that no one had ever been queried for apprehending a dangerous criminal.

He, however, raised concerns about whether instructions issued at the top were being effectively implemented by lower-ranking officers, noting that the chain of command required commanders to verify whether troops on the ground shared their commitment and had the equipment, morale and allowances needed to execute orders.

The senator also called for a review of the name “Nigerian Civil Defence,” arguing that the term “civil” was at odds with an agency that bears arms against criminals involved in illegal oil bunkering and the destruction of public property. He said an agency confronting heavily armed criminals could not afford to be under-equipped, and expressed concern that the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps’ Commandant General was often absent from meetings of service chiefs.

Commandant Odumosu, the author of the book, echoed Oshiomhole’s concerns about inter-agency rivalry, describing it as a major obstacle to an effective national security response. He said the book was written to advocate a united front among security agencies, noting that no single agency had a monopoly of wisdom or strategy in tackling banditry, kidnapping, terrorism and other security challenges confronting the country.

Critics have linked the persistence of insecurity across Nigeria to a lack of political will on the part of government, but Oshiomhole rejected that argument, maintaining that the Tinubu administration has demonstrated sufficient commitment to the fight against banditry, kidnapping, terrorism and oil theft.