Former Minister of Sports and Youth Development, Solomon Dalung, has blamed Nigeria’s security architecture for the persistent insecurity across the country, citing a lack of coordination among security agencies.
Speaking during an interview on Arise News monitored by The News Chronicle, Dalung argued that the absence of a comprehensive and coordinated strategy against terrorism predates the administration of President Bola Tinubu.
He noted that despite the presence of United States military personnel supporting Nigerian forces in counterterrorism operations, many Nigerians have yet to feel the impact of such collaboration.
According to Dalung, terrorist groups appear to be growing more audacious despite repeated assurances from the Federal Government of its commitment to tackling insecurity.
“The more the Tinubu administration issues statements reaffirming its resolve to fight insecurity, the more emboldened the terrorists seem to become,” he said.
Assessing President Tinubu’s three years in office, the former minister lamented that the administration’s economic reforms have deepened hardship for many Nigerians, arguing that the policies have had little positive impact on the lives of ordinary citizens.
However, Dalung commended the government for advancing local government autonomy, describing it as a notable achievement, although he maintained that its benefits have yet to be felt at the grassroots level.
Drawing a comparison between the Tinubu administration and that of former President Muhammadu Buhari, under whom he served, Dalung insisted that the two leaders’ records were not comparable.
“President Tinubu cannot be compared with President Muhammadu Buhari, even though both came into office on the back of high expectations from Nigerians. Buhari accomplished many things that this administration has not indicated interest to begin even after three years in office,” he said.
Dalung pointed to the fight against insurgency under Buhari as a milestone.
“When we assumed office under the Buhari administration, 24 local government areas in the North-East were under the control of Boko Haram. Those territories were later reclaimed. That was a significant milestone,” he added.
