* Mark Challenges Security Agencies to Redouble Effort
President Goodluck Jonathan said on Sunday in Abuja said that the Islamic sect, Boko Haram, which had claimed responsibility for many terror attacks in the country, had infiltrated the government.
Speaking at the inter-denominational service to mark the 2012 Armed Forces Remembrance Day, at National Christian Center, Jonathan said some of them belonged to the executive, legislative and judiciary arms of government as well as the armed forces.
He described the sect’s activities as “worse than the Nigerian civil war’’, noting that the situation had made it difficult to combat the security challenge headlong.
The President, however, expressed optimism that, with the co-operation of all Nigerians, the country would overcome the challenge.
He said: “The challenge we have today is more complicated.
“I remember when I held a meeting with elders from the North East and some parts of the North West where the Boko Haram phenomenon is more prevalent.
“Somebody said that the situation is so bad that even if one’s son is a member, one will not even know.
“Some of them are in the executive arm of government; some of them are in the legislative arm of government while some of them are even in the judiciary.
“Some are also in the armed forces, the police and other security agencies.
“Some continue to dip their hands and eat with you, and you won’t even know the person who will point a gun at you or plant a bomb behind your house.
“That is how complex the situation is.’’
The President, however, said that the security services were “trying their best possible to address the problem”.
“I know what they are doing. Nigerians may not appreciate their efforts, especially when you know that we are under-policed.
“We have a police force that is about 300,000 in number,’’ he said.
Jonathan assured that the country would get over the challenges.
He said the government would increase the strength and the capacity of the security services to confront the challenges.
Earlier, in a sermon titled: “Patriotism at its Height’’, the Primate of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion), Most Rev. Nicholas Okoh, said the nation was passing through trying times.
Okoh said that the total loyalty of members of the armed forces remained the only asset available for the President to combat the security challenges confronting the county.
The Primate attributed what he called persistent corruption and insecurity in the country to a lack of patriotism and zeal among the populace.
He urged the Federal Government to give the mandatory National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) a major overhaul by adding full military training to the scheme.
According to him, the introduction of military training of not less than three years in NYSC will go a long way in firing up a sense of patriotism in the youth as is done in some other countries.
Okoh appealed to Nigerians, particularly politicians, to desist from inflammatory statements capable of causing confusion in the country.
Senate President David Mark also challenged the country’s security agencies to rise up to the challenges of the mayhem being unleashed on the citizens by the Boko Haram sect.
He made the call in a statement signed by Kola Ologbondiyan, his Special Assistant on Media, on Sunday in Abuja.
Mark, who was reacting to the series of gun attacks and bombings in Adamawa, Yobe and Borno states, stressed the need for the entire citizenry to unite and combat the menace of Boko Haram.
He expressed concern that the security situation was creating sharp divisions among the people along religious and ethnic lines, leading to the migration of citizens from one part of the country to the other.
Mark, however, said that the concerted efforts of the security agencies and the useful suggestions from opinion leaders could savage the situation.
“It is high time the security operatives devised new strategies to deal with the situation. They owe it as a sacred duty to protect Nigerians and their property anywhere the citizens chose to live.
“All men of good conscience must rise to condemn these acts of terrorism and find solutions to it. Nigerians deserve to live in peace without these unwarranted attacks and bombings.”
Meanwhile, Mark has urged the organised labour and civil society groups to shelve their planned strike on Monday, Jan. 9, so as to avoid acts which could undermine the country’s peace and security.
He stressed that the unity of the country should not be compromised for any reasons whatsoever and advised the labour movement to be circumspect about the strike in order not to overheat “the already charged atmosphere’’.
“The unity of Nigeria cannot be compromised for anything. The Almighty God did not make a mistake in keeping us together as a people with common mission and purpose,’’ he said.
Mark gave the assurance that the National Assembly would continue to be guided by the wishes and aspirations of all Nigerians.