The President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Mr. Yakubu Chonoko Maikyau, OON, SAN has decried the state of insecurity across the nation, and condemned the December attacks by bandits on villages in Plateau State, leaving nearly 200 Nigerians dead, and the earlier drone strike by the military on Tudun Biri in Kaduna State which claimed the lives of over 100 Nigerians.
Describing the incidents as inexcusable and unacceptable, the NBA President noted that “From information made available by the military and other security sources, the Tudun Biri incident is suggestive of the gap in our security architecture – lack of inter-agency synergy and coordination, while the attack in Plateau is clearly indicative of poor intelligence gathering or, a deliberate failure to act despite the intelligence on the impending attacks on the villages, or notice of the attack on the villages by the bandits, as reported by community leaders.”
The NBA President in his 2024 New Year Message therefore urged the government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to show demonstrable commitment to prioritizing the security of the lives and properties of Nigerians. His words: “Government, through our Armed Forces and other security agencies, must ensure that no square inch of the Nigerian territory is left ungoverned; no part of Nigeria should be left under the control of criminal elements by whatever name so called. Government must make deliberate investment in security, of such a scale and magnitude, which will leave Nigerians in no doubt as to the sincerity of the statement made by the President. The Federal Government must adopt a wholistic approach to the issue of security while not overlooking the peculiarities of each region and design bespoke measures to deal with them. In this wise, the government must neither be “scared” nor “ashamed” to make the right investments in security, in line with global trends in security, without compromising our sovereignty.”
On the state of the economy, the NBA President has called on the government to put in place additional measures to address the ensuing and increasing difficulties associated with the subsidy removal. While acknowledging the commitment by the administration of President Tinubu, to, amongst other things, adopt fiscal measures that will promote domestic production and lessen import dependency, undertake budgetary reforms that will stimulate the economy without engendering inflation and improve on the generation and transmission of electricity, Mr. Maikyau noted that “with the passing of the 2024 Budget by the National Assembly, it is now left for Mr. President to demonstrate to Nigerians that these are not mere rhetoric.” According to him, “Nigerians need to be reassured that their sacrifices would count for something, and genuine efforts are being made to ensure that their pain and suffering will be short-lived.”
The NBA President tasked “government at all levels to show demonstrable respect for its social contract with the people of Nigeria by adopting and implementing people-oriented policies and programmes, which align with sustainable development ideals and principles. He encouraged the government to deploy radical security and economic policies that will address the increasing case of inequality and instability in the polity and deliberately take steps to build a society that works for all Nigerians. The NBA President reiterated that the Nigerian Bar Association shall not shirk its responsibility, as the watchdog of the Nigerian people, in holding the government to account.
Akorede Habeeb Lawal
National Publicity Secretary, NBA
