The 2023 All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Rivers State, Tonye Cole, has called for a data-driven and accountable approach to addressing Nigeria’s security challenges.
He made the call while speaking on the ARISE Morning Show on Tuesday.
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Mr Cole said the government’s efforts would only gain public trust if backed by credible data on arrests, prosecutions and rehabilitation records.
“One of the biggest problems we have in Nigeria is that accountability backed by scientific evidence does not exist,” he said.
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A few days ago, a group of prominent Nigerians led by former Aviation Minister Osita Chidoka and journalist Kadaria Ahmed asked President Bola Tinubu and the National Assembly to set up a Presidential Task Force on National Security to confront the country’s worsening violence.
In its statement issued on 23 August, the group, which identified itself as concerned leaders, warned that Nigeria was facing “wartime levels” of killings and abductions.
The statement cited Amnesty International figures showing that at least 10,217 people were killed in the country in just two years.
The group pointed to Benue, Plateau, Zamfara and parts of the North-east as epicentres of massacres and displacements, while the South-east, South-south and South-west continued to experience rising insecurity.
They proposed a task force with extraordinary powers reporting directly to the president, coordinating military, police and humanitarian agencies, independently of politicians or political parties.
Mr Cole, who is part of the group, said the proposed presidential task force should trace security incidents, document killings and kidnappings, record arrests, and measure progress or setbacks in real time, all backed by proper data, to restore citizens’ confidence.
He commended recent military efforts but insisted more must be done. “Yes, there have been congratulatory messages about the capture of terrorist leaders, but Nigeria still needs to do more,” he stated.
Mr Cole explained that security improvements do not necessarily translate into people feeling safer. “Do people see the change in Benue, in the Plateau? Are fewer people being killed now than five years ago?” he asked.
He noted that when 10,000 deaths are discussed, people see it as normal in Nigeria, so “we need to reach a point where people believe their lives truly matter.”
He further explained that policies cannot succeed without reliable data verified by an independent body within government, and that credible data is also vital for population, health, and education policies.
He referenced Amnesty International, which he said, provided “data every day, and people believe it, whether right or wrong, because people believe it has integrity.”
“If Amnesty says 10,200 deaths in two years, NBS ought to come out with its own figures backed with evidence.,” he said, as he argued that gaps in official data reinforces the need for a presidential task force on security.
Rivers local elections
Concerning the upcoming local elections in Rivers State, Mr Cole faulted the plan to conduct such polls during a state of emergency. “If democratic institutions have been suspended, you cannot hold elections. The perception is wrong,” he said.
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He said it looks like an attempt to capture the local government. “If you want democracy, then do democracy properly. Doing otherwise sets a very dangerous precedent,” he said.
The Rivers State government initially scheduled the local government elections for 9 August. But following the declaration of a state of emergency in the state on 18 March, the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) postponed the elections to 30 August.
Under the emergency, President Tinubu controversially suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, and the state House of Assembly and appointed Ibok Ekwe Ibas, a retired vice admiral, as Sole Administrator.
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