The Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) has said that the Federal Government has lost grip of security of lives and property following the continued killings and kidnapping across the country by bandits.
PANDEF expressed surprise that the government was not moved when it learned that law-abiding citizens were currently paying hoodlums huge sums of money in order to stay alive or have access to their farmlands.
Spokesman of the forum, Mr. Ken Robinson, told correspondents in an interview that apart from providing electricity through generators, drilling boreholes to get water, Nigerians were gradually taking the responsibility of securing themselves from armed robbers, kidnappers, ritual killers, and fraudsters.
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He said, ‘Communities now contribute to do roads and individuals drill boreholes for themselves. Citizens spend billions of naira to buy generators to provide electricity for themselves.
‘Now, Nigeria has been reduced to a situation where citizens are now paying for their safety and security. Surprisingly, Nigerians are not paying to conventional security agencies; they are paying money to bandits, to criminals in order to be safe.
‘What can be worse than that? How low does the government want the country to go before they do something drastic? Unfortunately, the fact is that security is no longer in the hands of government and the indications are everywhere. The government has lost it as far as security is concerned.’
You would recall that the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) had earlier called for the resignation of political office holders appointed from the region into key ministries and parastatals created for the development of the area but may not be able to deliver on the mandate
The group insisted it would no longer fold its arms to the docility of some political appointees from the region, noted that the era of self-enrichment against the collective interest of the region is over.
PANDEF National Chairman, Air Commodore Idongesit Nkanga (Rtd), who stated this at the inauguration of Professor Godini Darah-led Delta State chapter of the body in Warri at the weekend, said the region desperately needs people who can effect positive changes through their offices.
AFRICA DAILY NEWS, NEW YORK
