Kankara schoolboys: Group hails Buhari, security agencies

The Association of Nigerian Professionals in Europe (ANPE) has applauded President Muhammadu Buhari and the country’s security agencies for the release of hundreds of schoolboys in Katsina state. 

The group made this known in a communique signed by Agwu Onyeke, its president, alongside 13 country heads, issued at the end of an online consultative meeting on Friday.

According to the ANPE, the safe return of the schoolboys again highlights Buhari’s political will towards addressing the security challenges in the country.

Also commending the military for its plan and execution that lead to the eventual safe return of the schoolboys, the Nigerian professionals hailed the Operation Sahel Sanity as a success.

The group, however, urged the federal government to begin the process of engaging Nigerians on the need for collective action towards nation building

The Nigerian professionals also called on the government to develop strategies that would counter the falsehood propagated by mischief makers and disgruntled politicians in the polity that is bent on truncating the nascent democracy in Nigeria.

Read full communique below:

The Association of Nigerian Professionals in Europe the umbrella body of Nigerian professionals that have distinguished themselves in their chosen endeavours in Europe.  A part of the strategic objective of the association is to tap from the rich resource base of Nigerians in Europe towards the socio-economic development of Nigeria. 

The association has in its fold thousands of Nigerians in various fields of endeavours in Europe providing advisory services in the critical sectors of health, education, economy and security, amongst a host of other interventions.  This has been evident in symposiums, policy papers, and strategic reports on issues that aid sustainable development in Nigeria. 

The online consultative meeting was convoked in the assessment of the state of Nigeria, and the recent abduction and subsequent rescue of 344 students of Government Science School, Kankara, Katsina State. 

The online consultative meeting had in attendance members from different parts of the Europe and issues were deliberated and presented to the general house during plenary for ratification and subsequent adoption. 

The Issues: 

Nigeria is experiencing challenges in various sectors of the country, and it has been alleged that the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari has displayed a lackadaisical attitude towards addressing the issues. 

This much necessitated the need for an independent assessment from a body of experienced Nigerian professionals that have kept a tab on happenings in the country to put issues in proper perspectives for the generality of the Nigerian populace as well as its development partners that are watching with keen interest the happenings in the country. This is also on the heels that we are in the era of fake news that has brought about an unimaginable level of misinformation that are detrimental to sustainable development. 

The Impact of Coronavirus on the Economy of Nigeria: 

The outbreak of the novel Coronavirus pandemic indeed disrupted growth and development in Nigeria. The case of Nigeria is not as peculiar as the impact of the pandemic hit almost countries in the world. Consequently, members deliberated on the steps taken by the Nigerian government towards mitigating the effects of the pandemic on the lives of the ordinary Nigerians. 

The State of Insecurity in Nigeria: 

Members also deliberated extensively on the spate of insecurity in the country. The prosecution of the war against insurgency in North-East Nigeria, the spate of kidnappings, including the abduction of 344 students from their dormitories in Government Science School Kankara, Katsina State and other forms of criminalities by militant groups across the country. 

There were extensive deliberations by members with experts in criminology moderating the discourse to make informed observations in line with global standards. 

The Resolutions: 

After extensive deliberations, members who were divided into subgroups made presentations for adoption by the general house on the above-highlighted issues. 

On the state of the Economy, the following was unanimously adopted: That the impact of the coronavirus pandemic was felt globally and Nigeria was not an exceptional case in the sense that almost all countries of the world introduced measures aimed at containing the further spread of the virus. And this included the enforcement of a lockdown of countries. 

That the Nigerian authorities indeed enforced a nationwide lockdown which economically would hurt the country’s economy. However, it commended the efforts of the Nigerian government towards mitigating the effects of the lockdown through the National Social Investment Programmes that includes but not limited to the National Cash Transfer Programme, National Homegrown School Feeding Programme and the National Social Safety Net Programme, amongst a host of others. 

On the spate of insecurity, the following was unanimously adopted: 

Members were also unanimous in commending the Nigerian Military in the war against insurgency and other forms of criminalities. 

The role of the Nigerian Military in Internal Security Operations was also commended with particular reference to Operation Sahel Sanity in North West Nigeria that was viewed as a huge success. 

The successful rescue of the abducted schoolboys by the Nigerian Military was also highlighted, and members expressed commendation in its planning and execution that that saw to the safe return of the schoolboys. 

The provision of the needed political will by the Federal government towards addressing the security challenges in the country was also commended in glowing terms. 

Recommendations: 

The Association of Nigerian Professionals in Europe at the end of the online consultative meeting made the following recommendations: 

That the Nigerian government must begin the process of engaging Nigerians on the need for collective action towards nation building 

That the Nigerian government must develop strategies that would counter the mischief propagated by mischief makers and disgruntled politicians in the polity that is bent on truncating the nascent democracy in Nigeria. 

That the media must rise to the occasion through the enforcement of objectivity in the reportage of events in the country 

That the media must desist from giving prominence to the activities of terrorist, insurgents and other criminal gangs in the country. 

Conclusion: 

The Association of Nigerian Professionals in Europe at the end of the online consultative meeting concluded that the Nigerian government has fared brilliantly well in critical sectors of the Nigerian economy. It also averred that the bulk of the issues in the country with specific reference to the spate of insecurity in the country as politically motivated.