New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) chieftain, Buba Galadima, has condemned the closure of schools in parts of the North due to rising insecurity, describing the move as cowardly and a shameful dereliction of duty by the government.
Speaking on ARISE News’ Prime Time on Monday, Galadima said the recent mass abductions in Niger State and other northern communities showed that the Federal Government had failed in its responsibility to safeguard citizens.
“For me, the government has abdicated its primary responsibility of protecting lives and property and has devoted 99 percent of its time to politicking,” he said.
He insisted that shutting down schools should never be considered an option, arguing that authorities should instead strengthen security around educational institutions rather than surrender them to criminal elements.
“In the first place, it is shameful to close down the schools, shameful on government and on authorities at every level. You can’t close down schools. What you should do is protect them,” Galadima said.
He criticised leaders for treating governance with levity, saying public officers should devote almost all their time to addressing insecurity. “You shouldn’t have more than six hours for leisure. The remaining must be hands on the wheels. That we are not seeing,” he added.
Galadima also faulted the government’s overreliance on brute force without adequate intelligence gathering.
“Those in authority must put on their thinking cap and do the needful. They have tried this ‘gara gara’, as I call it. It did not work. It is now time to use their intellect, use technology, and protect our citizens,” he said.
He cited an experience he witnessed in China where CCTV systems tracked and recovered a stolen bag across two airports within hours, an example he said exposed Nigeria’s failure to effectively deploy available technology.
“We are only interested in power to make money or to show you that I have arrived,” he said.
Galadima further alleged that security operatives had prior intelligence on the movement of bandits before the latest attack in Niger State but failed to act.
“Somebody was capturing them verbatim. He said they were going towards Yawuri or Ngaski. That is intelligence. The security should have moved quickly,” he said.
He also berated soldiers deployed to a school for allegedly abandoning their duty post.
“Why did they leave the place? They should be court-martialled and be shot,” he said.
Galadima maintained that Nigeria’s security strategy was outdated and required urgent overhaul.
“The president should forget about physical security. We have passed that stage. We have to use technology to detect things even before they happen, and set up special squads to deal with issues as they spring up in the next five minutes,” he said.
The Telegraph reports that at least five northern states have closed schools due to worsening insecurity, while several others have directed boarding students to return home.
