A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Osun State, Olatunbosun Oyintiloye, has urged Nigerians to support President Bola Tinubu in the fight against insecurity in the country and stop negative criticisms that can distract him.
He said this while addressing journalists on Sunday in Osogbo, the state capital.
Oyintiloye who said the rate of insecurity in the country was becoming alarming added that the development called for a sober reflection.
According to him, “This is a period Nigerians needed to rally round the president and its administration to find a common solution to the various insecurity challenges facing the country.”
While condemning the recent killings, banditry, terrorism, kidnapping and other criminalities across the country, he said there was no doubt that the president was doing everything humanly possible to restore peace to the country.
“This is a trying period for all Nigerians, who are saddened with the latest multiple killings and kidnapping ravaging the country.
“Nigerians must take solace in God, while the government fashions out strategies to address the situation, instead of negative criticism that will not solve the problem.
“No one is happy with the recent killing, banditry, terrorism, kidnapping and other criminalities across the country, but negative criticism and name calling by the leaders of the opposition parties is not the way forward.
“What we need at this critical period is for us as stakeholders to come together, irrespective of our political affiliation, religious or tribe and give the present administration needed boost and encouragement.
“Security is a collective responsibility of everyone and that is why I am appealing to leaders of the opposition parties to stop playing cheap politics with security issues and narratives that can divide the country”, he said.
The former lawmaker commended the president for prompt approval of funds to the security agencies for the purchase of modern equipment to fight insecurity.
“The recent release of N50 billion security vote to five Northern states is a show of commitment by the president to minimise the spate of insecurity, but we need to extend the gesture across the country,” he added.
He noted that the primary responsibility of any government was to protect the life and property of its citizens.
“This was the reason why a large percentage of the 2024 budget was committed to security.
“I call on the president to look into developing security architectural frameworks that are community based.
“I call for a bottom up approach to a security framework that would integrate every social strata of the society, traditional rulers, religious leaders, non conventional security groups and opinion leaders in assisting security agencies in combating the insecurity in their domains.”
Oyintiloye also urged the president to mandate governors, as the Chief Security Officer of their respective states, to rise to the occasion to nip the insecurity in bud by creating a community security network to support conventional security agencies in their various domains.