Fixing the Broken Windows of Insecurity, By Usman Suleiman Sarki
By Usman Suleiman Sarki
Security is a vital and unique condition necessary for the social, economic and political development of every society. This makes it necessary for every state to create an enabling environment worth living for the citizens which may complement other efforts aimed at securing the state.
Thus, to have an enabling environment, the country must provide basic amenities required in improving the living standard of its citizens including; provision of employment opportunities, poverty alleviation programmes and sound education.
Looking by the way things are going in Nigeria today, these issues are not set as priority and this has undoubtedly broken the widows thereby leaving behind series of problems undermining the security of the country. One can easily understand and see how these windows were broken from the high level of corruption, high unemployment rate, illiteracy, abject poverty, bad governance among others.
Consequently, these factors have predisposed some people particularly the frustrated youths into various illegal and vicious activities such as kidnapping, terrorism, armed banditry and cattle rusting so as to make ends meet.
Meanwhile, this has seriously worsen the security situation of the country as youths are recruited/introduced into these acts of crime that are capable of destabilizing the security of country and inducing intense fear in the minds of citizens.
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The point of contention today is that the authorities saddled with the responsibility of ensuring the safety of life and properties of people are still reluctant on finding the appropriate measures to fix these broken windows so as to have a formidable security in the country and this is the only way of dealing with all these criminal activities distorting our security system and threatening the national stability.
In order to curb these worsening security challenges, government on its part must adopt some strategies in order to fix these broken windows so as to achieve a sound and effective security situation. These include; provision of basic amenities such as medical facilities, sound education, good roads, portable water etc. for the improvement of citizens wellbeing, provision of employment opportunities for people especially the youths who are mostly found on the forerun in committing many crimes. Thus, this will prevent them from being engaged into to social vices by bad peers.
Moreover, taking strong proactive measures through sensitization of people on the importance of security to everyone’s life and strict enforcement of law and order as well as improving the welfare of security personnel, keeping them abreast with current security practices/tactics and equipping them with the necessary equipments and other logistics will go a long way in improving our security standard.
Lastly, government should encourage community participation in the fight against all acts capable of destabilizing the security of the state and ensuring certain, swift and severe punishment of any body found committing or abetting any act capable of undermining the security of the country.
There, it is hoped that proper application of these recommendations may help in achieving a better security situation in the country.
Usman Suleiman Sarki
Department of Criminology and Security Studies, Federal University Dutse, Jigawa State.
