Osun commissioner warns politicians against politicising security issues

By Deborah Oladejo, Osogbo –

The Osun State Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Kolapo Alimi, has urged politicians to stop playing politics with issues of national security, noting that insecurity affects everyone regardless of political, ethnic, or religious affiliations.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the Osun Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) 2025 Press Week held on Monday, Alimi said security and governance are inseparable, stressing that the primary duty of any government is to ensure the safety and welfare of its citizens.

He decried how politics has overshadowed serious national issues, saying the trend has worsened the problem of kidnapping, banditry, and other violent crimes. “We have politicised all aspects of our lives, including security, and that is why we are having incessant security breaches. Armed robbers and kidnappers don’t care about party or tribe. It could happen to anyone,” he said.

The commissioner urged leaders to place competence above sentiment in handling security matters. “If it is a Hausa man that can give us adequate security, saddle him with the responsibility. If it is an Igbo or Yoruba man, let him do it. The benefit will be for everyone,” he added.

Delivering a lecture titled “Governance and Security in Nigeria: Progress, Challenges, and Future Directions,” a Professor of Environmental Sustainability at Osun State University, Anthony Kola-Olusanya, said Nigeria’s insecurity challenges are rooted in governance failure. He explained that when governance breaks down, insecurity rises, and when insecurity worsens, governance fails.

According to him, Nigeria faces a governance crisis disguised as insecurity, caused by corruption, weak institutions, and lack of visionary leadership. “We have developed resilient individuals but weak institutions; persuasive rhetoric but fragile systems. We excel at diagnosing problems but fall short in solving them,” he said.

Kola-Olusanya stressed that true security goes beyond military might and involves citizens’ welfare and dignity. “A hungry citizen is vulnerable; a neglected community is a ticking bomb. Discussions about national security that overlook issues like poverty, inequality, corruption, and unemployment are incomplete,” he said.

He urged leaders to strengthen institutions, decentralise governance and security, and prioritise human security by addressing hunger, unemployment, and inequality. Earlier, Chairman of Osun NUJ, Comrade Wasiu Ajadosu, commended the renewed efforts of the federal government in the fight against insecurity.