The Nigeria Scout Federation
has expressed dissatisfaction with the approach used by the Federal Government
to tackle the security challenges posed on the country by the Boko Haram sect.
Chief Commissioner of the
group, Colonel Ahmed Zubair (rtd) expressed the concern during the 2013
National WoodBadge Reunion on Saturday in Lagos.
According to Zubair, the
Federal Government may not successfully combat the terrorism sect without
knowing its “real” demand.
The scouts leader said: “On
tackling Boko Haram, I will probably say the model at which they (Federal
Government agencies) are doing things might not be all that is correct. What
this means is that they will need to listen more to know what the root cause
is. How did it all get started because they cannot be fighting without knowing
why they are fighting and what is the aim of the people they are fighting?
“I used 32 years and six months
in the force and I believe if we can solve Liberia and Sierra Leone conflict,
we can also solve ours. It is just a matter of applying the right tactics and
approach at the right time. The government is for the people and they are
supposed to take the interest of the people paramount in their decision of
doing anything.”
Former Chief Commissioner of
NSF, Rev. Kunle Amolegbe, who condemned the activities of the Boko Haram sect,
wondered why government left security in the hands of private individuals.
He said: “I wonder what kind of
security we are talking about when those who are supposed to provide the
security are not providing it as expected. Nigeria is porous, security is in
the hands of the individuals and that is why you see that all of us are living
in our homes like prisoners, we mount high gates, fences and others. From this
you can be sure that the security of Nigeria is below expectation.
“Before we can solve Boko
Haram’s problem, we must really know the root cause. We must be sure of what
they are really fighting for. Some people look at it from religious point of
view, some look at it from political point of view. With that, it becomes very
difficult to put security in place or to really say what they are agitating
for.”
However, Mr. Gilbert Akinlawon,
who gave the welcome address, urged members of the scout federation not to
derail from the objectives of the group.
“Boys Scouts should shun sense
of nepotism, tribal sentiments, self-centeredness and face the business of
youth development in earnest. We should all practise scouting according to the
dictates of our founder,” he added.
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