By Felicia Imohimi
Abuja, Nov. 24, 2020 Retired Rear Adm. Gbadejo Adedeji on Tuesday identified rejuvenation of local government system as key in addressing the nation’s security challenges.
Adedeji, former Commandant, National War College, said this at a book launch titled “”Africa’s security challenges in the 21st century: Power, principles and praxis in global politics”, written by Dr Tunde Adeniran.
Adedeji, who noted that addressing security challenges entailed purpose, process and organisation, added that integration of rural development must be prioritised.
Adedeji frowned at the poor attention accorded to rural communities by political leaders adding that in times past there were Public Works Departments (PWDs) across the country in charge of maintenance of rural roads.
He identified the activities of PWDs then as helping to checkmate activities of banditry among others vices in the country.
“l appeal to politicians to sit down and think about how they can rejuvenate the local government system.
“Let us go back to the PWD system of maintainaing our roads, put human beings on the roads to maintain the roads and to double as the security agents of the country.
“I call on the authorities concerned, let us do something about the road system; let our roads be covered and through this measure we can address our security challenges,” he said.
Adeniran, the author, noted that the book which contains 12 chapters proffers critical solutions to the lingering problems and the policy options to reshape and secure Africa’s future in the global arena.
According to him, it is an explicatory tour, an incisive strategic analysis of the world’s political outlook and Africa’s security imperatives to bring about sustainable peace, meaningful democracy, justice, equitable development and advantageous global presence in a world of unsettled scenarios.
The Chairman of the occasion, Dr Bukar Usman, President, Nigerian Folklore Society (NFS), called for unity among various ethnic groups in the country.
Usman, former Permanent Secretary in the Presidency, urged segments of the society claiming that the nation would break up to desist from such negative notion.
He said that they should rather raise the hope of the youth, being the future of the nation with great potential.
“Those people who say Nigeria will break should rather encourage the youth that there are great potential inherent in the country and it is only for us to solve the problem.
“There is virtually no country that has not encountered one problem or the other; so with unity we can solve our own problem which is peculiar to us.
“Nigeria will not break up because the solution to Nigeria’s problem is not by breaking up but unity and purpose,” he noted.
Also, the Minister of Science and Technology, Dr Ogbonnaya Onu, who commended Adeniran for his hardwork, honesty among others emphasised that the nation needed more of his type to guide the young ones.
According to him, the youth should know that the future of our nation is bright and all that is required of the older generation is to educate our children and equipt them with appropriate skills they need to excel.