Forestalling Insecurity, Radicalism and Terrorism Through Education, Scholarship

7/29/2019 Forestalling Insecurity, Radicalism and Terrorism Through Education, Scholarship

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Forestalling

Insecurity andTerrorism in

Nigeria throughScholarship, SkillAcquisition

Programs & GoodGovernance

By

Don Okereke

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Forestalling Insecurity and Terrorism in Nigeria throughScholarship, Skill Acquisition Programs & Good Governance

In my preceding essays, particularly in ‘’Beyond the Razzmatazz: Combating the

Remote and Immediate Causes of Insecurity, Instability and Terrorism in

Nigeria’’, I expounded the remote and immediate causes of Insecurity, Instability and

Terrorism in Nigeria. I also proffered solutions encompassing social, economic, politica

infrastructural reforms amongst others. In this Piece, I will zero in on abysmal poverty

or widening gap between the rich and the poor, hopelessness/frustration, and

joblessness. Herein, I postulate that the aforementioned latent CAUSATIVE AGENTS

of insecurity and terrorism in Nigeria can be nipped in the bud through education

scholarship, skill acquisition/capacity building programs and by ensuring that wealth

and opportunities trickles-down to the poor. Like the Scripture posits, what we sow i

what we reap. If we sow the seeds of insecurity and terrorism by acts of commission o

omission, then we cannot exonerate ourselves from the negative butterfly-effect.

The Nigerian State has not been fair to majority of Nigerians despite the abundan

material resources accruable to this country. We don’t have to wait until people pick up

arms before we try to pacify or ‘settle’ them. The former ECOWAS Commissio

President- Dr. Mohammed Ibn Chambers recently opined that, ‘Nigeria has no reason

to be poor’’. Let me paraphrase the words of Dr. Ibn Chambers, ‘Nigerians have no

business being poor’. Former President Obasanjo stated the obvious when he lately

opined that, ‘’rising unemployment in Nigeria is a time-bomb’’.

Beside the guise of religion and politics, there must be a strong force that will galvanize

an individual to waste his life and that of others as a suicide bomber. That strong force

is the trio of abysmal poverty, hopelessness/frustration, and joblessness. It’s no

simplistic! A hungry man is an angry man. It will take an amazing brain-washing

prowess to convince a gainfully employed young man or somebody with a thriving

business to abandon the trappings of his work or business and be a slavish stooge fo

kidnapping or terrorism.

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On Radicalism

An upsurge of religious fundamentalism invariably undermines the social order

Religious organizations- Churches and Mosques in most African countries have

unwittingly usurped the roles of the government. Many Nigerians will rather trust o

listen to their pastor’s or Imam’s than say Mr. President. Churches/Mosques dole oumoney etc to impoverished members. This is not a bad thing to do. The flip-side is tha

he who plays the Piper dictates the tune. Hence it becomes easy for a run-of-the-mi

Imam or Pastor to brainwash an entire congregation because they depend on him fo

their sustenance. An average American or Westerner generally, does not have to fas

and pray before s/he eats a meal or clothes himself. Government at all levels mus

begin to deliver on their promises and better the lot of her citizens.

Proliferation of Private Universities

It has become a fad in Nigeria for anybody who is somebody to own a private

university. This is a noble vision. One wishes the driving force be skewed towards

altruism rather than for pecuniary gains. Imagine the prevailing scenario where a

Church or an ex-president builds a private university and children from poo

backgrounds cannot afford to attend such schools. With a tuition fee of not less thanN500,000.00 (half a million naira) a session, how many Nigerian parents earning

N18,000-N30,000 minimum wage can send their wards to say Bells University o

Technology, ABTI-American University, Covenant University etc. In addition to building

private universities which only children of rich people like themselves can attend, ou

ex-leaders, church founders and those blessed with stupendous wealth, should set up

a Trust or an Endowment Fund through which they can award scholarships to gifted

students from poor backgrounds. At the risk of partisanship, I think Owelle Rochas

Okorocha is blazing in this regard through his Rochas Foundation.

A Multi-faceted Approach

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Analysts and experts concur that a potpourri of proactive measures- intelligenc

surveillance/gathering, education/scholarships and Skill acquisition are viable tools tha

can nip insecurity, radicalism and terrorism in the bud.

Sequel to the complexity of the Security situation in Nigeria with a mix of economic

political and social strife, the United Nations Counterterrorism Implementation TasForce (CTITF) accentuates the importance of strategy, promotion of Public-Privat

Partnerships and a collective effort to counterterrorism.

To this effect, Washington recommends that Nigeria sets up a ‘’comprehensive

programme in the northern parts of Nigeria’’ in addition to a Security strategy and a

socio-economic plan. Efforts must be geared towards ensuring that every Nigerian

irrespective of place of birth or the family he/she is born into has a chance to actualizehis or her God-given potentials.

Ongoing programmes, variants of the haphazardly packaged ‘amnesty programme

must be put in place by the government, individuals or organizations as part of thei

Corporate Social Responsibility. This will engage and dissuade would-be terrorists and

criminals/kidnappers. Good governance will go a long way in exterminating insecurity

and terrorism in Nigeria.

The United States Experience

The Americans understand and profoundly appreciate the importance of nipping

crimes, radicalism, violent extremism and terrorism in the bud hence their immense

direct and indirect investments in security/defence and education. Americans design

and encourage programs that are geared towards prevention than cure b

exterminating the causative agents of the disease rather than fighting the symptoms a

we do in Nigeria. I was amazed to discover a cornucopia of academic trusts

scholarships and endowment funds geared towards supporting and encouraging brigh

and probably poor American citizens and even foreign students and scholars. Throug

these programmes, wealth and opportunities trickle down and people are lifted out o

poverty. A few of these academic programs are:

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Fulbright Scholarship

The U.S. Student Fulbright grants send 1,500 students to one of 150 different countries

for an academic year.

Rhodes Scholarships

The Rhodes scholarship, the oldest international fellowships, awards outstanding

students from around the world to study at the University of Oxford. Each year, 3

American Rhodes Scholars are selected.

Harry S. Truman Scholarship

The Truman Foundation awards 75-80 scholarships annually to students who wan

to Make a Difference.

H.J. Heinz Company Foundation Fellowship

H.J. Heinz Company Foundation Fellowship, for individuals from developing countries

who demonstrate potential as future leaders in the public, government, non-profit,

private sectors.

The National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate Fellowship

The Department of Defense (DoD) annually supports approximately 8,000 graduate

students in fields important to national defense needs.

Charles B. Rangel International Affairs Fellowship Program

The Charles B. Rangel International Affairs Fellowship seeks students who wish to

pursue a career in the Foreign Service.

Pat Roberts Intelligence Scholars Program (PRISP) recruits and trains analysts and

linguists.

Not forgetting the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Gates Cambridge

Scholarship, and U.S. Department of Homeland Security Undergraduate

Scholarships & Graduate Fellowships, the U.S Department of Homeland Security’

Science and Technology directorate’s $55,000 postdoctoral associateship program and

the FBI’s Intern Program.

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The CIA, DIA, and NSA participate in an Undergraduate Training Program known

as the Stokes Program which targets bright high school seniors and high performing

college sophomores majoring in areas critical to the needs of the participating

agencies. Students selected for this programme receive a government salary and fu

benefits as well as tuition and other educational expenses.

The United States’ National Security Agency also has several other scholarship and

fellowship programs.

The Defense Intelligence Agency sponsors the National Consortium for MASINT

Research (NMCR) Scholars Program which provides scholarship funding for student

attending consortium universities.

United States Intelligence agencies also participate in some specialized scholarship

programs such as the Information Assurance Scholarship Program for students a

NSA-designated Centers of Academic Excellence and the NDEA/SMART Scholarship

Program for math, science, engineering, and other critically needed technical skills.

The United States military services offer a number of scholarships and fellowships

including ROTC programs.

You see why an average American does not have any qualms dying for his country

because to a large extent, his country somehow guarantees that her citizens wi

actualize their aspirations. Life is quid pro quo!

On the international scene, the United States government through the USAID and a

battery of critical counterterrorism capacity building programs – Antiterrorism

Assistance Program, Counterterrorist Finance, Counterterrorism Engagement, the

Terrorist Interdiction Program/Personal Identification Secure Comparison and

Evaluation System Program, and transnational activities under the Regional Strategi

Initiatives; broadcast outreach to targeted audiences etc reaches out and partners wit

other governments and organizations in fighting crimes and terrorism.

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http://www.afio.com/2007NCMRScholarsProgramDescriptionRev1.pdf






For example in 2011, ‘’USAID worked in Islamiyyah and Quranic schools in Northern

Nigeria benefitting 72,350 pupils (41,915 male and 30,435 female), out of which 15,060

were identified as orphans and vulnerable children (OVC). The vulnerable children

received support materials to allow them to attend school. Also in 2011, ‘’the USAID, in

cooperation with other U.S. government agencies, undertook programs that promoted

reforms to enable developing and transition countries to allocate resources toward

activities to accelerate economic growth’’. DFID too is massively invested in uplifting

Nigerians.

Using the efforts of the United States government, individuals and the private sector as

a benchmark, can we say we are doing enough in Nigeria in our supposed fight agains

violent crimes, insecurity and terrorism?

Calling on Nigeria’s Super-Rich and Institutions to set up EndowmenFunds/Foundations/Trusts

Mo Ibrahim Foundation supports good governance and great leadership in Africa. Kof

Annan Foundation fights a cause against drug trafficking in the West African sub

region and so on and so forth.

Many Nigerian former leaders lose their relevance immediately they leave office. Apar

from playing parish-pump politics and using their war-chest to pull strings or destabiliz

the polity, they seldom make intellectual or otherwise contributions in the national o

International scene. Bill Clinton, Nelson Mandela, Kofi Annan amongst others are

global brands even after they left office.

Envisage the social transformation and positive multiplier-effect that will take place if a

Nigeria’s former President’s/Heads of state, Governors, Ministers, ex-bank MD’s etc

channel their energies, accumulated wealth and intellect in a Humanitarian Cause they

are passionate about. Imagine the social transformation that will take place if the N6b

‘Security Vote’ and the so-called ‘Constituency Allowance’ accruable to all 36 State

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governors and members of the National Assembly respectively are judiciously utilized

and channeled into truly uplifting Nigerians.

The Obasanjo’s, Babangida’s, Atiku’s, David Mark’s, Dangote’s, Dantata’s, Adamu

Ciroma’s, Paschal Dozie’s, Emeka Anyaoku’s, Adenuga’s, Iwuanyanwu’s, Bola

Tinubu’s, Otedola’s, Jimoh Ibrahim’s, Wale Babalakin’s, Arisekola’s, Harry Akande’sRasaq Okoya’s, Cosmas Maduka’s, Peter Odili’s, Andy/Ifeanyi Uba’s, Oritsejafo’s

Enoch Adeboye’s, Chris Oyakhilome’s amongst others should establish or partner with

existing Trusts, Foundations or Endowment Funds that will encourage academi

research, award scholarships to promising but poor students or train people on ski

acquisition. Apologies to those whose names appear here that already have such

mechanisms. One understands that some of these prominent Nigerians are

philanthropists per excellence but a lot of times they lack a well-structured vehicle like

a Trust or a Foundation through which their philanthropy will be better harnessed. Gen

TY Danjuma reportedly earmarked $100m of his $1bn ‘Oil Windfall’ for his TY Danjuma

Foundation (TYDF). The TY Danjuma, Tony Elumelu Foundations amongst others

must not be mere paper-tigers; they must walk the talk and give hope to hopeles

people. The vision and philanthropic proclivity of many prominent Nigerians fizzle ou

when they die; M.K.O Abiola is a classic example. With a well-knit Foundation or a

Trust, these noble visions will surely outlive the individuals that conceptualized them

Sometimes these eminent Nigerians amass stupendous wealth only for their children to

start fighting over who gets what after their parents demise.

Rather than rubbing their wealth in, acquiring/accepting luxury cars and private jets as

birthday gifts, other Nigerian Pastor’s/Imam’s should borrow a leaf from Pastor T.B

Joshua. Love him or hate him, T.B Joshua enunciates practical Christianity through hi

philanthropy. One wishes he puts in place an enduring framework that will continue to

propagate his visions even after his demise.

Borrowing a leaf from the Americans, it will not be anomalous for Nigeria’s Nationa

Intelligence Agency (NIA), the State Security Service (SSS), Defence Industrie

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Corporation of Nigeria (DICON), the EFCC, the ICPC, Nigeria Police and other siste

organizations to encourage internship programs, award bursaries/scholarships o

research grants to scholars. Any student who gets such an offer or opportunity will no

doubt be perpetually grateful and indebted to the country at large. He/she wi

invariably be an instrument in the fight against crime, social disorder and terrorism.

During my university days, the school authority saw the wisdom in incorporatin

military/Para-military students and the Man O War into the university’s securit

network. I can tell you that because we were part of the students: we study, live with

and mingle with them; it was easier for us to be privy to some goings-on in school than

the formal security officers employed by the school.

On the part of the Nigerian Armed Forces, the Police and other security agenciesthere must be ongoing training and retraining of the officers and rank and file especially

in the area of weapon handling, rule of law amongst others. This will cut down rampar

incidents of extra-judicial killings.

Modernizing Almajiri System of Education

It’s not that we are bereft of well-articulated ideas in Nigeria; our bane is in the

implementation of such ideas. One of such ideas is to modernize the almajiri system in

northern parts of Nigeria and integrate it into our mainstream educational system. No

too long ago, President Goodluck Jonathan commissioned a N240m Almajiri Mode

Boarding School in Gagi, Sokoto state. One hopes other northern states will replicate

such projects. A lot of these angry, frustrated and hopeless youths must be given hope

and kept busy.

Skill acquisition programmes must also be put in place across Nigeria to absorb these

idle and frustrated youths. The much talked about YouWin, SURE-P, Graduate

Internship Programmes, CBN’s ‘’Entrepreneurship Development Centres’’, Ministry o

Communications ‘’Naija Cloud’’ amongst others must not be paper-tigers o

instruments of political benefaction. One is gladdened by the prospect of the ‘‘Strategi

Philanthropy Summit’’ recently co-hosted by the Goodluck Jonathan government. We

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earnestly hope that this Philanthropy platform hits the ground running in view of the

exigency of its vocation.

The Northern part of Nigeria has produced the most President/Heads of State and

political leaders in Nigeria but unfortunately this aggrandized wealth has not trickled

down to the downtrodden. What obtains in the North and in many parts of Nigeria is asituation where an individual in a community amasses so much wealth and others

depend on him for their upkeep. Thanks to the Petroleum Industry Bill debate, many o

us would not have known that few individuals from a section of Nigeria own 83% of O

Wells with the likes of Alhaji Mai Deribe purportedly netting a whopping N4bn monthl

from his Oil business in a country where many struggle to eat two square meals. One

does not begrudge these folks; we rather wish that they plough back just an iota o

their wealth towards a Humanitarian Cause.

The rich cannot continue to sleep with their two eyes closed until drastic and collective

actions are taken to give hope to hopeless and hapless individuals in our midst. At the

risk over-egging the pudding or been dubbed a pessimist or a prophet of doom,

postulate that with or without negotiation or amnesty, pockets of sporadic terroris

incidents, kidnappings will persist across Nigeria unless far-reaching measures are

taken to shrink culture of impunity, abject poverty, unemployment, hopelessness

wanton corruption/profligacy, religion fundamentalism and injustice.

Security is a collective responsibility; all hands must be on deck. Nigerians Unit

Against Insecurity and Terrorism. Let’s make Nigeria great again! Hear it! See it

Say it! Stop it!!!

God bless Nigeria and Nigerians.

Don Okereke(Security Analyst & Consultant)Abuja, [email protected]+2347080008285

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mailto:[email protected]

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Forestalling Insecurity, Radicalism and Terrorism Through Education, Scholarship