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Bishop Herbert Ekechukwu, a cleric and economist, is commentator on national affairs. In this interview with EJIKEME OMENAZU, Dr. Ekechukwu speaks on crucial issues in the polity, especially the vexing issue of insecurity, among others. Excerpt:

A cross section of Nigerians across the states has been complaining about the state of security and infrastructure as they seem not to be in tandem with increased federal allocation to them in the last one year. What is your take on this?

Nigeria is grappling security crises including insurgency, banditry and terrorism which are hampering economic growth and national security. Many schools, hospitals, roads and other national institutions are in terrible state begging for attention. The removal of subsidy on petroleum products has brought sharp increase in federal allocation to states, yet the expected effect has not been felt in national security and in infrastructural development. The increased insecurity is as a result of corruption and collision between government officials and non-state actors fueling insecurity with billions allocated for security votes being misused. The government must ensure effective budget implementation. Priorities should be on transparency, accountability and prudent fiscal management. There should be coordinated efforts among security agencies to tackle insecurity

 President Donald Trump of United States of America (USA) and few others recently accused Nigeria of genocide against Christians in the country, hereby fueling an international outcry and controversy. What is your opinion on the issue as one of the prominent Christian leaders in the country?

This claim is justified looking at the scenario on the ground. During the presidential election in 2023, the ruling party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) fielded a Muslim/Muslim ticket. Even top leaders of APC have come out to confess how they imported bandits for the purposes of elections. It is the terrorists, who people refer to as either bandits or Jihadists that are neutralising the Christians in the North Central communities. The Nigerian soldiers in the South East are behaving like soldiers of occupation, treating the zone as a conquered territory. They are looting, raping, arresting and killing our young ones. The killing of Igbos and Christians seem to have become a government policy. No arrest, no trials, rather terrorists are given amnesty, even as they are called ‘repentant’ and drafted into the Armed Forces. The rest are having meetings with federal and states governments. On the other hand, armless protesters and separatist agitators like Nnamdi Kanu were clamped into detention for about five years, and were recently sentenced to life imprisonment. The people of Igbo extraction and Christians are crying for justice. The APC government of Bola Ahmed Tinubu should act very fast to redress the situation before it is too late. Religious and tribal wars are time bombs ticking at our door step. Government should better hurry now before it is too late.

Following the allegation of Christian genocide, President Donald Trump has declared Nigeria as a ‘Country of Particular Concern (CPC)’ and has indicated a possible US military intervention against terrorists. How best should the Federal Government handle the issue of insecurity and killings to check what could be termed a threat against the country’s sovereignty?

 We are tired of saying all these things. The government knows what to do, but it is quite unfortunate that they are playing politics with human lives. It is the irresponsible actions of those in government and their criminal nature that have brought us where we are today. The government of the day does not have the political will to fight insecurity. They are the ones that brought the bandits and the herdsmen into the country in the first instance. The government of the day is part and parcel of bandits. Can a kingdom fight against itself? To effectively fight insecurity we need repentance from our leaders. The so-called ‘repentant’ Boko Haram in our security agencies need to be flushed out. Nigerian security agencies need to collaborate with US security agencies and let them assist Nigeria to strengthen our nation’s security agencies by improving on their training, equipment and welfare. Other measures include promoting social cohesion among the citizens and community engagements. Also, the judiciary must be reformed. There should be effective and efficient information gathering and sharing

 Following renewed increase in terror attacks and abduction of students and worshippers, how best should such soft targets like schools and worship centres be protected?

 This will involve government agencies, community leaders and individuals. CCTV cameras and surveillance systems should be installed at these places to monitor the environment. There should be increased policing and regular patrols by police, vigilantes and Neighborhood Watch. The affected group should be trained and updated on security consciousness. There should be improvement in security information and intelligence gathering, which will include establishment of community-based reporting systems for suspicious activities. There should be collaboration among law enforcement agencies to share intelligence and joint patrols. There should be a built up awareness campaigns to establish citizens’ trust of the government at all levels. There should be provision of educational opportunities for community stakeholders. Also, there should be improvement of the system of reporting by those who may see warning signs. The government at all levels should intervene, communicate, or deliver services as appropriate to prevent and reduce the likelihood of terrorism.

Could you take a look at attempts at constitutional reforms since return to democracy? How much would you say have been achieved, and how would you rate the contributions of the National Assembly to the process?

The National Assembly has embarked on a series of public hearings to review the 1999 Constitution focusing on federal restructuring, local government autonomy, state police and national security. The proposed amendment are granting financial independence to local governments, establishing state and community police system and ensuring representation for women and persons with disability in governance, electoral reforms and devolution of powers. The reforms so far lack public participation. Proposed amendment will face the huddle of being ratified by at least 24 State Assemblies, a very challenging and tasking process. Altogether the National Assembly has passed or amended 108 laws, including Students Loan (Access to Higher Education) Act and Tax Reform Act. The Tax Reform Act which will come into effect from January 1 2026 is expected to boost investors’ confidence and foster economic growth potentials, raising Gross Domestic Product (GDP) from $363.8billion to $1Trillion by 2030. The Senate has introduced 983 bills with a 232% increase in bill passage in 2023/2024 to 83 in 2024/2025. The major challenge and setback to Senators Akpabio’s 10th Senate include lack of meaningful opposition. It is a rubber stamp Senate. Matters that should be determined by robust debate and voting end up with manipulated voice votes. Senator Akpabio, the Senate President could be seen as dictatorial. The worst and shameful act of the 10th Assembly was the disgusting and disgraceful handling of Rivers State of Emergency and Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan’s suspension. What should be in the front burner now is the issue of Electoral Reforms, especially as the 2927 general elections are fast approaching.

Besides conducting presidential and governorship elections six months ahead of swearing-in, what other measures do you recommend to improve the credibility of the elections?

Before the next election what we need urgently is electoral reforms. The National Assembly should enact a new electoral reforms law that will be tailored to enhance credibility in electoral process and ensure the independent and autonomy of the commission. A committee to oversee the electoral body to ensure and guarantee transparency of the electoral process is to be set up. The body should consist of the Judiciary and the National Bar Association (NBA), Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), the academia and the religious bodies. We need an improved and efficient technology that will promote and guarantee hitch-free, glitches-free and error-free in the biometric voter verification and transmission of results. In the new electoral law we are canvassing for, we should discourage very expensive campaign financing to reduce corruption. There should be an increased cooperation between the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), Community Based Organisations (CBOs) and international partners to promote electoral transparency and credibility. Also, we should ensure security and safety of the voters. A situation where voters are harassed, traumatised, beaten up and even killed to prevent them from voting in a particular section of the country should not repeat itself in 2027 elections. Enhancement of credibility of the ballot also involves prompt, accurate and speedy release of election results. Delay in the release of election results makes room for results manipulation. All election court cases should be disposed of before the swearing-in ceremonies or inauguration of the President, Governors and the National and State Houses of Assembly.