Insecurity: Danjuma Raises Alarm Over Looming Anarchy

Lt.General Theophilus Danjuma (rtd)

John Shiklam

Former Minister of Defence, Lt.General Theophilus Danjuma (rtd) , Saturday raised the alarm over what he described as the consequences of the current security situation in the country, warning that Nigerians must unite to safe the nation from imminent collapse.

Danjuma, who expressed fears over the looming anarchy in Nigeria, warned that unless the situation is urgently addressed, the looming anarchy would consume all. Danjuma was speaking at the special convocation ceremony and the inauguration of N50 billion Ahmadu Bello University( ABU) Zaria, Phase ll Development Fund held at the main campus of the university.
He noted that  the security challenges in the North occasioned by the Boko Haram insurgence  and other faceless organisations  were a  reminiscence of the “civil war.”

The warning came on a day the former military president, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida (rtd), said Nigeria  would continue to wallow in crises and retardation in development if education was not given the priority it deserved.

Babangida, who was chairman at the fundraiser, added that the security and developmental challenges confronting Nigeria today could be traceable to the declining fortunes of education sector, pointing out that “no long term solution to these challenges is feasible without redirecting more attention, energy and resources to the sector.”

According to him,  the security , peace and progress Nigerians aspire for would remain elusive  if the majority of citizenry remains locked in the traps of ignorance and poverty,  stressing that “ ignorance and poverty were two sides of the same coin, the same way that knowledge and progress are to another coin.

“The choice  before us, therefore, is  very stark; opt for peace, progress and happiness by contributing to the proper  education of the younger generations of Nigerians  or invite anarchy that would end up consuming us all.

“We must therefore  not only insist that our government at various levels wake up to the challenges in the education sector but we must also as individual find ways of making our own contributions for this great task,” Babangida said.
President Goodluck Jonathan, who was represented at the occasion by  Vice president  Namadi Sambo  urged alumnus of the nation’s varsities to play a major role in the development of their alma-mater as it is the practiced in developed countries of the world.

The president identified the problem of access of Nigerian youths  into the nation’s universities as one of the problems confronting  his administration, pointing out that that was why the government decided to established more university in the country.

Danjuma, who confessed that he was yet to put any input in finding solution to the current security challenges in the land, said it was up to the Nigerian elite to close ranks in seeking for solution to the  sundry crises in the country.
“I regret to confess that I have not suggested solution to this problem. It is up to us the elite to get together and brainstorm to solve our problem. I take this opportunity therefore, to appeal to the nation for unity.