It came to our knowledge, that the Federal Government of Nigeria led by President Muhammadu Buhari made a decision to arm and equip the Federal Road Safety Corp members with guns, arms and ammunitions.
Nigeria Wailers, as a group saddled with advocacy, promotion and sustenance of Democracy in Nigeria call on the Federal Government and the Senate to halt the decision of the Government to give guns to Road safety officers.
All over the world, road safety men are equipped with traffic gadgets not guns. There are new technologies that the Government can invest in, that can help combat traffic violators and bring law and order to our roads and reduce fatality and other accidental impacts. Gadgets like spy cameras, streets cameras, street lights, speed limit regulators, breakers and others are what the Government should invest in to promote their efficiency.
There are serious security threats such as Boko Haram and Fulani terrorists killing and maiming people all over the country. The police and the Army needs these guns and all other ammunitions to fight these ugly scourges ravaging Nigeria. There are other unrest and security concerns in other parts of the country which calls for the attention of our security forces.
Our security forces require more arms and ammunitions and are in dire need of combat equipments. The president cannot now imagine that using guns to regulate traffic is appropriate. We ask the Buhari’s Government to explain to us why it has become necessary to equip Road Safety Corps with guns and not provide adequate equipments for the Nigeria Police and the Army to combat crimes and terrorism?
The Road Safety Corp members do not have the required training and disciplines to bear arms. It is already known, that without weapons, they unleash unimaginable terror on the people on our roads. Empowering them with guns without adequately informing Nigerian is suspicious, dangerous and suggest some sinister motives by the Government.
The Federal Government should know that the lives of every Nigerian matter. We cannot empower more people who delight in terrorising our people.
The world has advanced beyond the archaic methods that the President Buhari has and is introducing into every system in Nigeria. Again, Nigeria is not a police state where it is a command and obey system. And that is not to say that we encourage the people to violate laws and Orders, traffic laws and regulations.
President Buhari ought to be sincere in all his approach. We opine that Nigerians should reject this move because, it appears that he is empowering every available organ, agencies with guns In order for him to repress, suppress, oppress, intimidate and terrorise the Nigerian people.
Every of Buhari’s moves is evident that he wants to cow the Nigerian people with the force. we remember all his attempts to gag the people from criticising his Government via the shutting down of social media.
Recall that the dictator in North Korea started building his powers this way and people did not suspect on time until it became to late for them.
We should not look on while our greater good is being put in danger, and with fear and force.
We will be conquered in our own supposedly democratic Nigeria in Africa.
We call on the Senate, Stake holders and international community to join our call to reject the arming of the men of Road safety. We state categorically, that does not appear good, or to be for our good and it is not clear to us.
Usman Abubakar
Ag. NPS, Wailing Wailers
Headquarters, FCT, Abuja.