FG Tasks States on Growing Violence

The federal government yesterday called on state governors to
live up to their constitutional roles and take responsibility for
growing insecurity in their states.

It said state governments enjoyed autonomy in the constitution
with the attendant resources to address security challenges in
their domains.

This comes as the federal government has said that Nigeria’s
foreign policy is under review with new focus on trade and
investment, African Free Trade and Investment (ACFTA) and climate
change.

It said the elections of Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala as the head of
the World Trade Organisation (WTO); and Dr. Akinwumi Adesina as
President of African Development Bank (AfDB), were made possible
with its support and in furtherance of its foreign policy.

Speaking yesterday on ARISE NEWS Channels, Minister of Foreign
Affairs, Mr. Geoffrey Onyeama, said state governors had the
financial resources, security votes and the presence of security
chiefs in their domains to turn the tide against growing
criminality in the country rather than waiting for federal
intervention.

The minister decried the security situation in the country,
which he said agitated the government.

“Well, it’s a very sad situation that we still have an
unacceptably high level of violence within the country. That is a
real cause of serious concern. It’s something that agitates the
government.

“You know, a lot of the measures have been put in place to
address those issues. You know, unfortunately, these fault lines we
have as a country.

“We also need leaders in Nigeria to step up. You know, it’s not
just about the president; he can’t do it on his own. We have a
federal system. So, you have your governance in those states, and
each state has tremendous autonomy.

“So, we need the governors of the states to step up because they
have autonomy and things and they have to take their
responsibilities and do what they also need to do,” he said.

According to him, with the resources at their disposal, the
governors have no excuse not to end insecurity.

He said: “The governors have security votes, huge resources,
funding that are given to them regularly, so they have financial
resources and it’s just a question of also allocating
appropriately.

“There are police commissioners in each state; we work very
closely with the governors and it’s really a question of you know,
just taking responsibility, not just the governors, I might say but
all of us legislators as well opinion leaders and traditional
leaders will have to take responsibility.”

On lack of cooperation between the arms of government, he said
insecurity was not an issue for the president alone.

“No, I wouldn’t say that there’s no cooperation. What I’m saying
is that they should take more responsibility. It shouldn’t just be
an issue for Mr. President to solve.

“I think that as I said, we are a federation. There are others
who have an important role to play. A lot of these things are going
on within the states and the first line of response is the state
governors,” he added.

On the review of Nigeria’s foreign policy, he said the country
was focused on new areas, including trade and investment, AFCFTA
and climate change.

“When we look now at what we want, as a country, you know, the
different things we want trade; we want to industrialise our
country and trade our way out of poverty.

“We want jobs for Nigerians, a lot of Nigerians migrate; we have
a large number of Nigerians in the diaspora and you know, climate
change is also an issue for us. So, yes, Africa is still very much
important to Nigeria, and very much part of our priorities, but
also the rest of the world”, he said.

Onyeama stated that “they may not necessarily be in that order
sub-region, the continent and the rest of the world. “In that
order, in respect of what for certain things would be in that
order. I think if we’re looking at security, for instance, clearly,
it’s going to be in that order. With the continental African free
trade area, we are hoping to see greater level of trade in Africa,
but at the moment, Africa is not our greatest trading partner, the
countries of Africa.

“So, we need to increase our trade with Africa. But of course,
those countries who have high volumes of trade are also very
important to us and of course, we look for greater investment in
Nigeria. And yes, we would like investments from African countries
but you know, realistically at the moment, the biggest investors in
Nigeria are from outside Africa”.

On the election of Nigeria into the leadership of multilateral
organisations in the last one year, the minister said “In that
period of time, we have also seen a lot of wins for Nigeria in
getting Nigerians elected to open positions, the latest, of course,
being Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala. We have seen the election of Nigeria
to possibly the most important portfolio on the African Union,
which is headship of political affairs, peace and security.

“Of course, we are able to get Adesina elected as president of
the African Development Bank and also the president of the Afrexim
Bank. So, we have Nigerians in very strategic positions and
multilateral organisations. “And of course, we had Deputy Secretary
General of the United Nations and Nigeria, as the President of the
UN General Assembly”, he said.

He said the development was “a true reflection and the
leadership position of Nigeria and the global recognition of our
country on that.

“So, I think that from that point of view, we can say that we
have been successful on a good trajectory over the last one
year”.

The federal government yesterday called on state governors to
live up to their constitutional roles and take responsibility for
growing insecurity in their states.

It said state governments enjoyed autonomy in the constitution
with the attendant resources to address security challenges in
their domains.

This comes as the federal government has said that Nigeria’s
foreign policy is under review with new focus on trade and
investment, African Free Trade and Investment (ACFTA) and climate
change.

It said the elections of Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala as the head of
the World Trade Organisation (WTO); and Dr. Akinwumi Adesina as
President of African Development Bank (AfDB), were made possible
with its support and in furtherance of its foreign policy.

Speaking yesterday on ARISE NEWS Channels, Minister of Foreign
Affairs, Mr. Geoffrey Onyeama, said state governors had the
financial resources, security votes and the presence of security
chiefs in their domains to turn the tide against growing
criminality in the country rather than waiting for federal
intervention.

The minister decried the security situation in the country,
which he said agitated the government.

“Well, it’s a very sad situation that we still have an
unacceptably high level of violence within the country. That is a
real cause of serious concern. It’s something that agitates the
government.

“You know, a lot of the measures have been put in place to
address those issues. You know, unfortunately, these fault lines we
have as a country.

“We also need leaders in Nigeria to step up. You know, it’s not
just about the president; he can’t do it on his own. We have a
federal system. So, you have your governance in those states, and
each state has tremendous autonomy.

“So, we need the governors of the states to step up because they
have autonomy and things and they have to take their
responsibilities and do what they also need to do,” he said.

According to him, with the resources at their disposal, the
governors have no excuse not to end insecurity.

He said: “The governors have security votes, huge resources,
funding that are given to them regularly, so they have financial
resources and it’s just a question of also allocating
appropriately.

“There are police commissioners in each state; we work very
closely with the governors and it’s really a question of you know,
just taking responsibility, not just the governors, I might say but
all of us legislators as well opinion leaders and traditional
leaders will have to take responsibility.”

On lack of cooperation between the arms of government, he said
insecurity was not an issue for the president alone.

“No, I wouldn’t say that there’s no cooperation. What I’m saying
is that they should take more responsibility. It shouldn’t just be
an issue for Mr. President to solve.

“I think that as I said, we are a federation. There are others
who have an important role to play. A lot of these things are going
on within the states and the first line of response is the state
governors,” he added.

On the review of Nigeria’s foreign policy, he said the country
was focused on new areas, including trade and investment, AFCFTA
and climate change.

“When we look now at what we want, as a country, you know, the
different things we want trade; we want to industrialise our
country and trade our way out of poverty.

“We want jobs for Nigerians, a lot of Nigerians migrate; we have
a large number of Nigerians in the diaspora and you know, climate
change is also an issue for us. So, yes, Africa is still very much
important to Nigeria, and very much part of our priorities, but
also the rest of the world”, he said.

Onyeama stated that “they may not necessarily be in that order
sub-region, the continent and the rest of the world. “In that
order, in respect of what for certain things would be in that
order. I think if we’re looking at security, for instance, clearly,
it’s going to be in that order. With the continental African free
trade area, we are hoping to see greater level of trade in Africa,
but at the moment, Africa is not our greatest trading partner, the
countries of Africa.

“So, we need to increase our trade with Africa. But of course,
those countries who have high volumes of trade are also very
important to us and of course, we look for greater investment in
Nigeria. And yes, we would like investments from African countries
but you know, realistically at the moment, the biggest investors in
Nigeria are from outside Africa”.

On the election of Nigeria into the leadership of multilateral
organisations in the last one year, the minister said “In that
period of time, we have also seen a lot of wins for Nigeria in
getting Nigerians elected to open positions, the latest, of course,
being Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala. We have seen the election of Nigeria
to possibly the most important portfolio on the African Union,
which is headship of political affairs, peace and security.

“Of course, we are able to get Adesina elected as president of
the African Development Bank and also the president of the Afrexim
Bank. So, we have Nigerians in very strategic positions and
multilateral organisations. “And of course, we had Deputy Secretary
General of the United Nations and Nigeria, as the President of the
UN General Assembly”, he said.

He said the development was “a true reflection and the
leadership position of Nigeria and the global recognition of our
country on that.

“So, I think that from that point of view, we can say that we
have been successful on a good trajectory over the last one
year”.