THE NATIONAL POLICY FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF FOREST GUARDS ANNOUNCED BY PRESIDENT BOLA TINUBU IS LONG OVERDUE.
The Abia North Consultative Assembly, a socioeconomic, sociocultural and sociopolitical advocacy group, views the latest decision by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to establish forest guards to monitor nefarious activities of outlaws in about 2000 forests reserves around the country as most patriotic and among the most important executive orders emanating from him since he took over office as the President on May 29th, 2023.
This all important executive decision although coming so late after fulani herdsmen, foreign fulani bandits, foreign and local kidnappers, jihadists from the sahel, ISWAP terrorists, Bokoharam terrorists, Ansaru jihadists, and all manner of bandits have turned Nigeria into a den of lawless fiefdom and ungovernable territory.
ANCA advocacy had expected Tinubu’s government to declare war against these separatist terrorists on his Inauguration day of 29th of May, 2023. But he chose to play politics with this invidious danger to the point where we’re now not too sure we still have a country.
The measure to take over our forests we believe was not among the handover notes of his predecessor, Muhammadu Buhari who’s agenda of ethno religious domination ranks higher than a prosperous One Nigeria. We in ANCA movement believe that its not too late to wake up from the slumber and begin to rescue this country from Northern religious bigots like Buhari.
While we congratulate President Tinubu and his later day saints of advisers for choosing Nigeria rather than the northern insurgents that brought anarchy upon innocent Nigerians, we strongly advise that due process should be followed in recruitment of the local forest guards to avoid reinforcing the mistakes of the past that haunt us daily and is giving us sleepless nights.
We can all see that our security agencies whole and entire in this country have been compromised along ethno religious and tribal lines and thus making it difficult to fight insecurity. We should therefore be careful not to sell our dog only to purchase a monkey as replacement. The forests guards must be locally sourced and well trained to bear arms and fight effectively as our first line of defense against alien invasion. They must receive paramilitary training on counter insurgency tactics.
Our unemployed youths fresh from tertiary institutions must be given the first line of refusal before choosing other options. We must use this guards as reservist army to protect our citizens. This civil reservist if properly coordinated and conducted will serve as initial recruitment into the state police when it eventually comes to being.
Bola Tinubu presidency must have the courage and will to move this country into the next level of development and democracy. They must legislate the nation away from banana Republic where a ragtag insurgent outlaws of a few soldiers with one hilux van gun truck, few motorcycles, and few AK47 and AK49 weilding bandits will seize territories, kill soldiers and chase away farming communities.
Nigeria was one of the best multinational forces just few years ago and excelled in multinational peacekeeping assignments. Now some ethno religious agendists turned everything upside down and made the country a laughing stock. Tinubu must show courage by stopping this slide.
The welfare and security of the citizens remains the primary mandate of governance at all levels. Tinubu should restore this mandate and bring back the dignity of Nigerians for his government to be taken seriously.
We will further advocate that the model of Amotekun established in the southwest zone of the country should be adopted for the rest of the other geopolitical zones. Let us see where the so called terrorists and insurgents will run to in this country.
ANCA will also advise that President Tinubu should immediately sponsor an executive bill to the National Assembly seeking a legislative backing to this executive decision. Only good and responsible governance will save this country now.
President of ANCA, Engr Dr. Odo Ijere 08037162383
Secretary of ANCA,
Rev Dr O.C Obioha JP.
08037226917
15th May, 2025
