NNPP founder seeks Nigerians unity to end insecurity

The founder of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Boniface Aniebonam, has urged Nigerians to come together and join the government in fighting the insecurity in the country.

Aniebonam, also the founder and pioneer president of the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF), pointed out that security is the job of everyone and not strictly the responsibility of the Federal Government.

He said Nigerians must play their roles by supporting the government and the security agencies in whatever way they can to fight insecurity in the country.

The businessman made the call when the executive members of the Crime Reporters’ Association of Nigeria (CRAN) visited him at his office in the Apapa area of Lagos.

He expressed optimism that there is light at the end of the tunnel for Nigeria, emphasised that tackling Nigeria’s security challenges, including kidnapping and banditry, demands more than just government’s action.

He described security as a general thing requiring the active involvement of every citizen.

“This is not the time to apportion blame to anybody. If we want to be honest with ourselves, those who have not been involved in administration do not always see the enormity of the problems from the outside. When you come in and open the cupboard, you will see the scale of the challenges,” he said.

He examined the root causes of criminality, questioning the mind-set that drives individuals to commit violent acts for meagre sums and highlighting the complicating factor of drug addiction, which he termed a “self-inflicted path” that hampers enforcement efforts.

Aniebonam noted that powerful “entrenched interests” often make policy implementation difficult.

He used the long-standing issues in the power sector as an example of how inherited failures can stall even the most determined administrations.

“The President may have his faults, but he is dealing with deep seated issues. This is a time for Nigerians to be patient and rally round the leadership to overcome these avoidable travails,” he stated

He also commended the president for allowing due process to prevail in the Nnamdo Kanu’ s lawsuit for terrorism.

He added, “The President kept quiet to allow due process to prevail. Now that the legal matters are concluded, he has the constitutional power to evoke the ‘prerogative of mercy’ to give direction for the peace of the country.”

He further suggested that dialogue remains a priority, asking, “What stops the government from sitting down with stakeholders like Kanu to understand the root of the problem?”

He expressed faith in the judiciary to resolve the ongoing legal battle in the NNPP.