By ‘Wole Adedeji, Ilorin
The growing and disturbing state of insecurity in Nigeria is not because of lack of political will on the part of government, but an outright show of incapacity, former Minister of Sports, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, has said.
Abdullahi, who was also at a time the National Publicity Secretary of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, was speaking at a press parley shortly after clinching the Kwara Central senatorial ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to run in the 2023 general election.
He was also a one-time Special Assistant, Special Adviser and later Commissioner for Education in Kwara State, courtesy of his political godfather; Dr. Bukola Saraki, a position he was adjudged the best in in office, in recent years.
Addressing journalists, Abdullahi, who was also a celebrated journalist before veering into politics, said that with the near total collapse of security of life and properties in Nigeria, the best and first approach should be a total overhaul of the sector.
He stressed that it is not enough to say the current administration lacks the political will to tackle Nigeria’s disturbibg state of insecurity, making it to look insurmountable, but that the development according to him, is an outright show of incapacity.
As a way forward, he canvassed for a revitalization of the local government system where problems could be administratively attended to early enough from the grassroot and expressed his strong support for community policing or a state police system in this regard.
Commenting on the political tempest of 2019, which swept off the Saraki political dynasty, which produced him and his boss, Bukola Saraki, Abdullahi simply said, “It was an aberration.”
He said, “2019 was an aberration. It was not a normal thing to be shoved aside like that. It was not a tasteful experience. People shoved us out, but ended up having a government they didnt need.
“Insecurity in Nigeria is making life miserable. Nigerians have suffered close to eight years now.”
Abdullahi pointed out that this was only because of a misrule people erroneously put in place.
The former minister was the only one returned un-opposed at the National Assembly primary election of the PDP held in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital.
