Aside political independence, one key factor that earns a nation much respect and recognition among the comity of nation is its economic strength. Unarguably, the economic strength of a nation is determined by its physical assets, workforce and solid minerals. National assets are not what a nation can afford to toy with. They are too invaluable to be treated with less seriousness. The consequences of such an act are dire and are capable of reducing a once powerful nation to a beggar nation. It is in realization of this that individual countries promulgate and enforce laws on how best to preserve its assets.
At a time the world is experiencing severe economic crisis, nations are beginning to attach more than mere importance to those assets that oil their economic wheels. While it is relatively easy for advanced countries to meander through the economic hassles, it’s a different situation all together for developing economies like Nigeria, South Africa, Ghana and the rest. It is rather gratifying to note that most of these developing nations are fast rolling out ambitious plans to protect their assets against destruction.
It is however in realization of this open secret and in line with his administration’s transformation agenda that President Goodluck Jonathan recently called on all Nigerians, especially security agencies to protect Nigeria’s assets. The President is worried by increasing attacks on the country’s assets, a development he said is detrimental to the Nigeria’s quest to become one of the 20 developed nations by the year 2020.
Speaking recently at a two-day Stakeholders’ Forum on the Protection of Critical National Assets and Infrastructure, organized by the Office of the National Security in conjunction with the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, President Goodluck Jonathan appealed to all Nigerians to see the protection of the nation’s infrastructure as their innate responsibility.
He particularly called on communities where these assets are situated to take more interest in their civic responsibility, saying that “by providing useful information, communities will be assisting the security agencies to apprehend criminals, and by so doing helping to guarantee their well-being and safety.” President Jonathan, who spoke through Vice President Mohammed Namadi Sambo, observed that the protection of the nation’s critical assets and infrastructure, from the activities of terrorist, vandals and saboteurs, which governments at all levels had invested much on, cannot be left in the hands of the security agencies alone.
President Jonathan seized the opportunity to commend the security agencies for their untiring effort in the protection of these infrastructure. He however, challenged them on more inter-agency synergy to tackle the menace, while also tasking them to “continue to review and reinforce existing strategies, in order to decrease response times, and increase deterrent and combative capacity.”
The legislators were not left out as the Senate President, David Mark, who was represented by the Chairman Senate Committee on Intelligence and Security, Senator Mohammed Magoro, noted that the human resource of the country was its most critical asset. Mark challenged those responsible for the management of these assets to be patriotic in the service of their fatherland. The Senate president even went further to recommend severe punishment for vandals of public assets and infrastructures.
In his own separate remarks at the event, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Aminu Tambuwal, who spoke through the Chairman, House Committee on Interior, Hon. Umar Bature, stated that through legislation the National Assembly would empower relevant agencies to tackle the menace. Tambuwal challenged the National Security Adviser to come up with a review of the National Security Act, established in 1986.
In his remarks, the Minister of interior, Comrade Abba Morro, urged the forum to come up with adequate sanctions against those engaged in these condemnable activities to serve as deterrent to others. Similarly, the Minister of Power, Prof. Chinedu Nebo, likened the activities of vandals to a moral equivalent of war, lamenting the loss of over 35 per cent of the nation’s power capacity to the activities of these elements.
In his opening remark, the National Security Adviser, Colonel Sambo Dasuki (rtd), stated that the forum, which was the first ever to be organised, was to deliberate on ways to adequately protect the nation’s critical assets and infrastructure. He stated that the forum was borne from a committee, comprising all stakeholders, empanelled to assess the nation’s critical physical and virtual infrastructure, belonging to both the public and private sectors that are susceptible to threats from vandal, terrorist and saboteurs, with a view to adequately protecting them. “The potency of threat of terrorism, militancy, oil theft, vandalism and sabotage of critical national assets and infrastructure has now become unprecedented,’’ he said. He noted that vandalism of infrastructure, including oil facilities, telecommunications and power supply equipment was affecting government’s ability to provide adequate power and essential services to the citizenry. “The level of crude oil theft, vandalism of telecommunications, power, and oil and gas infrastructure is serious drain on the economy and degrading the ability of government to provide services,’’ he said.
Dasuki called for the support of all stakeholders, including government at all levels as well as host communities in the protection of national assets and infrastructure. He said that the approach to protect critical assets and infrastructure must be broadened, adding that this informed the convening of the forum.
Interestingly, participants at the forum were however unanimous in condemning increasing attacks on Nigeria’s priced assets. According to them, these acts are not only criminal but are capable of grounding the economy. It is strongly believed that stakeholder at the event will go back to their various areas of jurisdiction armed with adequate information on ways of protecting our national asset.
Labran Saleh wrote from salelabaran@yahoo.com.
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