National Democratic Congress presidential candidate Peter Obi has criticised President Bola Tinubu’s approval of the recruitment of 1,000 forest guards for Oyo State, describing the move as another example of a reactive approach to governance and security.
In a statement, Obi said the approval appeared to be a hurried attempt to project attentiveness and decisiveness rather than part of a comprehensive strategy to tackle Nigeria’s worsening insecurity.
According to him, while the recruitment of additional security personnel is necessary, such measures should be driven by a coordinated national security framework rather than isolated interventions.
He argued that insecurity has become a nationwide crisis, affecting virtually all 36 states, with states such as Oyo, Plateau, Kwara, Kogi, Borno, Katsina, Anambra, Niger, Imo and Sokoto facing particularly severe threats.
Obi questioned whether the Federal Government intends to extend similar approvals to all states and the Federal Capital Territory, a move that could result in the recruitment of about 37,000 forest guards nationwide.
“Is this approval part of a national security policy or merely dependent on the discretion and mood of the President?” he asked.
The former Anambra State governor also raised concerns about the implications of the decision for the Oyo State Security Network Agency, popularly known as Amotekun, which has been playing a key role in safeguarding communities across the South-West.
He maintained that Nigeria’s deepening insecurity is rooted in leadership failure, noting that more than 10,000 Nigerians have reportedly lost their lives to violence since 2023 while the country continues to rank among the world’s most terror-affected nations.
Obi stressed that addressing insecurity requires a holistic and ecosystem-based approach that goes beyond security deployments to include national unity, industrialisation, job creation and the effective utilisation of Nigeria’s vast resources.
He lamented what he described as persistent failures in leadership, arguing that the country’s inability to harness opportunities in agriculture, mining, tourism, water resources, sports, oil and gas has hindered economic growth and deprived millions of young Nigerians of employment opportunities.
According to him, only a comprehensive strategy that addresses both the symptoms and root causes of insecurity can deliver lasting peace and stability across the country.
