02/06/2021
A SPEECH DELIVERED BY BOLARINWA OLABODE THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF REFUGE OF LIFE FOUNDATION, RelFondNigeria AT THE YOUTH, MEDIA & SECURITY SUMMIT TAGGED “HARNESSING STAKEHOLDERS’ STRENGTH TO FOSTER PEACE” at NUJ Press Center, Osogbo ON 1st JUNE, 2021.
Protocols
"Gratitude is the least of all Virtue while ingratitude is the worst of the Vice”
With every sense of appreciation to God and humanity I welcome everyone to this impactful gathering, I do not take this priviledge for granted, I am more than grateful.
Refuge of Life Foundation as a Nonpartisan and Non-Political organization has come today to re-ignite our passion for our country and for those whose passion is waning, fan it to flame one more time, we cannot shy away from the fact that we are all in this Insecurity menace together and it is our civic responsibilities to find a common ground and put the interest of Nigeria first in our day to day life irrespective of our political affiliation, sentiment, and ideology because Nigeria is greater than any entity, tribe, region, religion or association any time, any day.
Recently, the statement “Security is the first and primary duty of the government” has crept into the lexicon of every tom, dick, and harry in this country, even a toddler can conveniently quote it, it is arguably more popular than the National Anthem now.
However, the most shocking experience for the citizens is that, the more the statement is been quoted, the more helpless and hapless government and the security agencies seem.
It has become normal for individuals and groups to be killed without explanations.
Kidnapping, banditry, killer-Herds men and Bokoharam activities, Policemen brutality, oppression and repression from all strata of political cm social-cultural class has become the order of the day and it seems to the whole world that the ones in whose hands, the approximately 200Million Nigerians have ceded the power to secure them lacks the capability to perform that duty.
If the assumption of the incapability is then right, given the daily occurrences of mortality, one would expect leaders in high places to declare a state of emergency on security, call for international help, and or toe the moral path which is to resign, but as a typical Nigerian that I am, it is a known fact that the latter is practically unexpected even if it is suggested.
RelFondNigeria is of the opinion that if insecurity continues to have its firmest hold on this nation, it will be assumed that our leaders are not interested in the sanctity of life; an idea that will fully mature and snowball into self-help where anarchy and pandemonium will reach its crescendo. It is therefore incumbent on the government of the day to show seriousness in the matters that have to do with the lives and livelihoods of her citizens before the time-bomb of civil war is detonated.
It is admittedly right that the youth constitutes the larger chunk of this nation’s population. This group of people is full of potentials, strength, energy, zeal, and zest to either cause mayhem in the society or bring about growth and development depending on the variables on which those qualities are harnessed.
Without mincing words, unemployment, underemployment, nonconductive environment for business, high inflation rate, low-income rate, food shortage/inflation, infrastructural deficits, bad rewarding system, open-grazing, perceived favouritism and nepotism et al are instruments and tools on which insecurity thrives albeit, the youths are the agents been used to bring about the hullabaloo into the system.
Though these are the realities staring at us per second, the lazy ones amidst the highly productive youths use the seeming insensitivity of the government to the reality of our time as an excuse to perpetrate evil, in form of killing, maiming, money ritual,
internet fraudulence and so on.
Politicians are not also helping matters; they fuel insecurity using the card of artisanship or ethnoreligious weapons to whip up sentiments thereby destabilize the country using this same youth.
Security agencies are supposed to be the gatekeeper in the security business but they have been perceived by the populace to be involved in the conspiracy of insecurity, it is gradually becoming a thing of the past for
individuals to trust security men so well to release sensitive information.
Reports and news at several times have shown how supposed security men have given information, weapon and even take part in the activities of those terrorizing the country at different levels. This has gradually eroded the trust thrust on the security agents. This does not mean we don’t have fine and gentle officers, but the advent of extra-judicial killings, trigger-happy officers, police brutality, oppression, and the inability of sister security agencies to synergies among others are a bane to our common peace as a nation.
The Media is regarded as the conscience of the society, who speaks to the power and relay the mind of the common man is recently been repressed on all fronts to keep mute at the sight of clear facts. Their lots too are gradually becoming the story of dancing to the beats of the highest bidder or better still that of “he who pays the piper dictates the tune”.
In all this, social media with its positivity came with it the emergence of influencers who wants followers at all cost and then writes or make posts to be popular.
To them, it does not matter who and what gets hurt. A lot of these people heat the polity by running to break fake news and mislead the populace. We should not forget too quickly that the Hutus and Tutis Rwanda genocide was instigated by fake news and the rest is history but for God's intervention. Hence, caution and professionalism should be reinforced.
RelFondNigeria did not want to accept that we are totally helpless in this game, we believe that some people are sabotaging the effort of stakeholders at all levels, we then subscribe to the unmasking and unveiling of the face of these monstrous elements, who thrives on sucking the blood of innocent people.
We hold the opinion that insecurity in this nation is pure business and frowns at the idea of a little sum feeding fat on the unfortunate experiences of the larger percentage.
The state together with all stakeholders owe us and posterity the duty to secure us and secure our future, it will be a disservice to tactically exonerate these known and unknown monsters, thereby sending a wrong signal that they are above the law at the detriment of lawful citizens.
As a concerned organization, with the understanding of these realities, we have come to bring these three sectors together to synergize and bring to the fore, how peace can be achieved and maintained by harnessing our strengths to foster peace in Nigeria and more importantly in Osun State.
“Service is the rent we pay for living on mother Earth” we are committed to paying our rent through Community Social Responsibilities.
Let us engage Power, make our Inputs, and leave Footprints. Our Voice shall count!
Once again, I thank you all for being part of this epoch-making event.
Long live Refuge of Life Foundation.
Long live Osun State.
Long live the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Thanks for listening.
Olabode
