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Nigerians Score Obasanjo Low On Security
Lagos, Thursday January 7, 2002:
Pointing to the spate of politically motivated killings,
ethno-religious crises, and other forms of unrest and violence that have
characterized President Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration, since
inception, Nigerians have rated the administration’s performance in
security lives and properties as a failure, and blamed it on the bad
economic situation in the country.
Nigerian who described the present security situation in
the country as a “time bomb”, said it portends danger for the year 2003
elections, while noting that there are indications that political maturity
and tolerance are yet to be firmly rooted. This, they said, could
truncate the democratic experiment.
However, they suggested that the government should address
the issue of unemployment, poverty and ignorance, as these would ensure
the depletion of the army of restive citizens and hired assassins, and
improve the security situation in the country.
These were the opinion of most Nigerian in a public poll
recently conducted by Media Rights Agenda under its Executive Watch
project. The survey was conducted in eight cities in various
geo-political regions of the country. The cities include Lagos, Ibadan,
Benin City, Enugu, Port Harcourt, Kaduna, Kano and the Federal Capital
Territory, Abuja. It polled Nigerians of various works of life from the
age of 18 years, irrespective of the educational qualification.
Recalling Nigeria’s return to democratic rule on May 29,
1999, which is generally considered a mile stone achievement, is being
threatened because of insecurity to lives and properties arising from a
spate of politically motivated killings, ethno-religious crises and other
forms of unrest and violence.
Almost every part of the country is affected: from the
political violence in Osun, Ebonyi, and Bayelsa states; the bloody ethnic
clashes in Nasarawa, Plateau, Benue and Taraba states; and religious riots
in Kaduna and Kano states. Till date, it is estimated that about 2,000
people have been killed and properties worth billion of naira destroyed.
In a recent meeting with the Federal Executives, comprising
the heads if the nation’s security outfits, President Obasanjo ordered the
overhaul of the security system of the nation as a first step in restoring
peace and order in the nation.
The study had four questions:
To ask respondents, to rate President Olusegun Obasanjo’s
administration in terms of its constitutional responsibility to security
of lives and properties?
To inquire further from respondents whose rating in
negative, what factor in their views contributed to the said poor
performances of the government in this area?
To seek the view of respondents on what impact the state of
insecurity currently in the country could have on the 2003 elections?
To inquire from respondents their prescription on how to
curb the wanton destruction of lives and properties those have
characterized President Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration?
Out of the 8,000 copies of questionnaire administered,
7,261 were filled and retuned. This shows a return rate of 90.8 per cent
and a mortality rate of 9.2 per cent.
Regarding the question that asked respondents to rate
President Obasanjo’s administration performance in terms of its
constitutional responsibility to secure the lives and properties of
Nigerians, the response pattern shows that 4,739 (65.3%) respondents out
of the total of 7,261, rated it ‘Bad’, 2,662 (56.2%) said it is ‘Fair’,
while 1.129 (15.%) others said it is ‘Good’.
Probing further, question asked respondents who rated the
performance of President Obasanjo’s administration on security as ‘Bad, to
state the factors that contributed most to it. One thousand four hundred
and three respondents (29.6% blamed it on political immaturity and
intolerance, 2.662 (56.2% said unemployment, poverty and ignorance, while
514 (10.8%) others said neglect of national security by successive
governments.
Asked what respondents think the current state of
insecurity would impact on the year 2003 elections, the general view was
that it is a “time bomb” that portends danger in form of political
upheaval and violence to the nascent democracy, and it could provide the
military and excuse to seize power.
On measures to curb the wanton destruction of lives and
properties, 4,170 (57.4%) respondents suggested that government should
address the issue of unemployment, poverty and ignorance; 2,237 (30.8%)
suggested that adequate punishment should be melted to identified
culprits; while 730 (10.1%) other suggested that the society should be
restructured to guarantee equal opportunity for all. One hundred and
twenty four others were undecided.
Contact:
Ademoyewa Johnson
Campaigns Officer
Tel/Fax: 01-4930831
E-mail: pubs@mediarightsagenda.org |
