One of the most frequently asked questions (FAQ) about dear our country by those in the diaspora is on insecurity. My general answer has always been that the state of our insecurity is not as bad as what it is being orchestrated to be. While it is a vague answer, deliberately so, it is not far from the truth. My experience is that many, especially those who don’t intend to come to the country soon, take the answer at face value and move on. But those who are planning a trip, often need more assurances. I then tell them if they are coming to the South-West or the Federal Capital and are not thinking of extensive road travels, then they should be fine. It is sad that one has to say this about one’s country. It is sad that one needs this kind of caveat. It is sad that one needs prayers and a large dose of luck to make a trip to certain parts of the country. In fact, many parts of the country. A while ago, I got a very lucrative media job. But it entailed going to some areas in Rivers State that I was not very comfortable with. Sensing my discomfiture, and the fact that I was highly recommended for the assignment, my prospective client upped the ante. In addition to increasing my fees, they offered accommodation in Port Harcourt and indeed every place I was scheduled to visit with armed escorts for the duration of the assignment. Ordinarily, it was a job I would have jumped at given my inquisitive nature since it was an opportunity to experience parts of Nigeria I had not seen before and might never see.

The state of insecurity in the country is worrisome, not just to us Nigerians, but apparently to the rest of the world as well. After all, what touches the eyes will most likely touch the nose, as the saying goes because we are all stakeholders. The recent searchlight by the US has exposed many dark corners. It has, for example, exposed the depth of persecutions against Christians in the north, the blinkers different levels of government are wearing to downplay this development and the negligence of the regular media in reporting this ugly blight on our nationhood. It is also systematically exposing some of the masquerades and their dark agenda. This US involvement in our affairs has inevitably led to some actions. Successes have been achieved militarily in places. Sponsors and defenders of terrorism are becoming more and more uncomfortable. But a lot still has to be done and it seems to me that as we take one step forward, we take two steps backward in the fight against terrorism. I know that there are no easy answers to something with so many dimensions and which we have allowed to fester for so long. Kinetic and non-kinetic solutions have been bandied so often that commentators assume we all know what they mean. I suppose, as a layman, that they simply mean military actions alone won’t solve the problem. If so, I agree completely. To extinguish a fire, one has to address its source.

Insecurity in the country is fueled largely in the north by hardline religious movements and a desperate struggle for turf. In the south by separatist movements and resource control. Overriding all these is a serious lack of job and financial opportunities for people in a country which worships wealth. To starve insecurity of oxygen therefore, efforts must ultimately be made to find gainful employment for our teeming youths. Idle hands they say, are the devil’s workshop. It starts with having children we can comfortably feed so efforts must be made to control our surging population. Children are said to be a gift from God. But the same children can be a curse if they are not cared for. We are not caring for ours. The Almajiri system should be addressed and reformed where necessary. Its products are fast becoming foot soldiers and reservoirs for terrorists because their lack of education makes them very vulnerable to various forms of indoctrination. It is in this light that clerics should mind what they preach so they don’t push these youths to religious extremism. Teaching youths how to live peaceably in a plural environment is important. They should also be taught basic survival skills so they don’t become a burden to themselves and the nation.

Another fuel for our insecurity is the greed of our leaders. A lot of the banditry occurs around mineral sites. They are caused by are poorly paid puppets who are dancing to their puppeteers in the cities. These are Leaders whose nefarious businesses need chaos and banditry to thrive. Iron clad discipline has to be placed around our mining industry if we want to stem this dimension of insecurity. That, which is caused by separatist movements and resource control can be addressed through inclusivity and fairness in governance. Finally, and the one most difficult to control, is religion. It is true that religion is the opium of the masses; especially if those masses are poor and uneducated as they often are. Nothing divides a people more fundamentally than a religious card. Nothing more destructive than a religious war. Leaders who should know these things and who should know the value of religious harmony, are unfortunately, the ones weaponizing religion. It is telling that some of the most insecure areas in the country are the Sharia States. Which goes to show that religion is not the panacea for peace and wellbeing. It might in fact, be an obstacle to peace. Besides, Nigeria was a secular State the last time I checked. In other words, religion is supposed to be a purely private affair in Nigeria. But rather than the State actors disentangling themselves from religion, they are the ones weaving religious web tighter around the people. Religion pops its head everywhere now. Even in a religiously accommodating zone like the South-west. Some political, and mischievous clerics seem determined to turn brothers against brothers in Yorubaland. It is also with trepidation that I read Nigeria was introducing an element of Islamic financial system into the national financial system. It is ill advised whatever the seeming advantages are. Given the religious sentiments at the moment, and the fact that we have a Muslim President, this will be misconstrued by some Christians and taken advantage of by certain politicians. The outcome is unlikely to ease religious tension which might not bode the nation well.

The lack of insincerity among our leaders as well as the notion of ‘we against them’ have been hindrances to intelligence gathering. And to building trust. All these are crucial to our winning the war on insecurity.

•Muyiwa Adetiba is a veteran journalist and publisher. He can be reached via titbits2012@yahoo.com