A prominent financial analyst and educator, Kalu Aja, has voiced sharp criticism of the current administration’s strategy for tackling Nigeria’s escalating security crisis. He contends that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is being misled by advisors who downplay the severity of the situation.
In a social media post on Saturday, Aja challenged the prevailing narrative that the insecurity is primarily political in nature. He warned that such a perspective could lead to complacency and allow the crisis to worsen unchecked.
He posed a rhetorical question, asking if the United States would be conducting military operations if their security challenges were merely political. He further argued that paying ransoms to criminal groups only incentivizes more kidnappings and attacks.
While acknowledging that some politicians might be involved in the insecurity, Aja insisted that the government must focus on directly confronting insurgents and criminal elements. He believes that addressing insecurity would not only improve public safety but also boost the economy and earn the government public support.
Aja called on the federal government to immediately halt all non-essential spending, especially projects unrelated to health and human services, and redirect those funds toward security operations. He urged the deployment of the entire armed forces, paramilitary agencies, and anti-graft bodies into forests and other criminal hideouts for a massive three-month campaign to eliminate insurgent and bandit threats.
According to him, treating insecurity as a political problem and failing to act decisively will only allow the crisis to spread further across the country.
He stated, “The President is listening to poor advice. They are telling him that the insecurity is political, which is code for ‘ignore it; it will automatically disappear after 2027.’ So, the US is bombing politicians? Paying ransom, whenever you do so, only increases insecurity; bad incentives also have their effects. Let’s assume they are correct and that politicians are actually involved in insecurity. Addressing insecurity will win votes and boost GDP, so go after the insurgents. Suspend all spending unrelated to health and human services, and mobilise the entire armed forces and paramilitary groups, including the EFCC, into the forests. Launch a massive three-month campaign to clear everything out. Ignoring this as mere politics will only allow the problem to spread. A stitch in time saves nine.”