From Christiana Gokyo, Jos
Senator representing Plateau South Senatorial District and former governor of Plateau State, Simon Bako Lalong, has stressed that Nigeria’s battle against insecurity will remain ineffective unless the local government system is empowered to operate independently as enshrined in the constitution.
Lalong made the assertion on Wednesday in Jos while speaking at the official launch of the Presidential Community Engagement Peace Initiative and North Central Peace Summit organised by the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Community Engagement (North Central), Dr Abiodun Essiet.
According to him, the ongoing security challenges across the country are inherently local and must be addressed from the grassroots level through functional and autonomous local government councils.
“All security challenges are local and must be nipped in the bud before they get out of hand,” Lalong said. “The Supreme Court judgment on local government autonomy is a crucial step by the APC-led administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to ensure that those at the grassroots have the capacity to respond swiftly to security threats.”
The former governor, who currently chairs the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs, emphasised the importance of adopting both kinetic and non-kinetic strategies at the grassroots level, warning that failure to do so would allow criminality to fester and escalate into a national threat.
He also reiterated the need to constitutionally assign roles to traditional rulers in the country’s security architecture, noting that he had sponsored the National Council for Traditional Rulers Bill currently awaiting public hearing at the Senate.
“Our traditional rulers are closest to the people and understand the dynamics within their communities. Giving them constitutional roles will enhance intelligence gathering and community-based conflict resolution,” Lalong said.
He called on the federal government to sustain ongoing systems and structures established to foster dialogue and reconciliation, while urging that security agencies be further empowered to collaborate more effectively.
Also speaking at the summit, the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, noted that the war against insecurity cannot be won through military action alone. He stressed the need for multi-dimensional approaches, including the tightening of Nigeria’s porous borders.
“We must improve our border security, including physical fencing, to curb illegal entry and cross-border crimes that continue to fuel insecurity within the country,” Gen. Musa said.
The Defence Chief also urged political leaders to make the right decisions and offer the right direction, assuring them that the Nigerian Armed Forces are fully prepared to implement any well-informed directive that ensures peace and stability.
In her remarks, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Community Engagement (North Central), Dr Abiodun Essiet, said the summit was part of efforts by the Tinubu-led government to tackle insecurity in the region through community engagement and peace-building.
“This initiative is designed to foster unity and collaboration among stakeholders, particularly at the grassroots, where security issues often begin,” she said.
The event, held in Jos, the Plateau State capital, brought together traditional rulers, security experts, and other stakeholders from across the North Central region in a renewed bid to strengthen local capacity for peace and security.