INSECURITY, A THREAT TO NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
ABSTRACT
The research
proffers a conceptual and theoretical investigation on insecurity a
threat to national development. The study is particularly important at such a
time of Nigeria’s history. The apparent challenge of insurgency, terrorism, arm
trafficking, ethnic crisis, arm robbery etc constitute a great threat to security and national
development. The research profers measures to mitigate and eliminate insecurity
to foster national development.
INTRODUCTION
The increasing nature of insurgency,
terrorism, arm robbery, kidnappings, corruption and ethnic crisis etc in Nigeria
constitute a devastating threat to security to life and property. Lack of
security of lives and property of the citizenry is a severe hindrance to meaningful
development. A climate of fear will frighten domestic and foreign investors. At
the heart of many of these conflicts is access to resources and control over
the distribution of benefits. This struggle for resources has led to a broad
sense of insecurity, opportunism, and the pursuit of self- help strategies
across the country. Some of the causes of violence include god fatherism,
poverty, unemployment, money and politics, corruption, small arms
proliferation, the rise of armed groups, religious based violence and election
fraud. These issues represent dividing lines in communities that have led to
heightened tensions between and within groups
CHAPTER 1
1.1
BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
The effects of violence and corruption etc,
on a nation’s economy are damaging. A nation in undated with corruption cannot
be viable economically; neither can the system generate enough support/
affection required for the survival of democratic system. This is a situation in
Nigeria where corruption has become part and parcel of the political culture.
Corruptionhas indeed robbed Nigerians the benefit of economic development
because scarce available resources that should have been deployed to execute
development project have gone into private foreign accounts.
Corruption
is widespread in Nigeria, not because the people are different from other parts
of the world, but because the conditions are ripe for it. There are many
reasons why this is so. The motivation to earn income from among the populace
is relatively stronger; exacerbated by poverty, unemployment and low wages. In
many developing countries Nigeria inclusive, accountability is generally weak.
Political competition and civil liberties are often restricted. Laws and
principles of ethics in governance are poorly developed and the legal
institutions charged with enforcing them are ill-prepared.147,148.
The incidence of June 2011 bombing of the
Nigeria Police Force Headquarters as well as September bombing of United
Nations building in Abuja has been seen by many as a daring assault not only on
the nation’s intelligence but as pointer to the fact that no one is safe.
The
general state of insecurity in Nigeria presently lends credence to the
reportthat kidnapping is an offshoot of the Niger Delta crisis. This insurgency
has thrown ahuge cloak of insecurity not just over the entire south-south
geopolitical zone, but also thesoutheast, and southwest. Kidnapping gangs have
made the two zones their haven. Noperson is spared in this new wave of crime
that seems to have supplanted armed robberyand other non-contact crimes.
However, the security challenge this poses to the state ofNigeria is better
understood against existing evidence that even government officials
andtraditional rulers are not spared.
This has led to some of these officials
relocating their families outside the geopolitical zone or outside the country.
What the current trend of violence is imprinting on the psyche of Nigerians is
that the government security apparatus is incapable of guaranteeing the safety
and security of its people. This would, therefore, impact on the human security
of the people as the situation promotes fear, while at the same time limiting
the peoples’ ability to develop economically. The state’s capacity to attract investors
becomes limited as a result of the insecurity. Okolo,B. The State of Insecurity
in Nigeria.In Nigeria world.com. 2009.
The
research intends to investigate insecurity as a threat to national development
1.2
STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
The increase wave of violence of terrorism,
insurgency, arms trafficking, kidnappings, arm robbery, ethnic crisis etc
constitute a devastating threat to the security of lives and property of the
citizenry.
This
research intends to investigate insecurity as a threat to national development.
1.3 RESEARCH QUESTION
1 What is the nature of insecurity in Nigeria?
2 What are
the causes and effect of insecurity in Nigeria?
3 What
are the measures to mitigate and eliminate insecurity in Nigeria?
1.4
OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY
1
To
appraise the nature of insecurity in Nigeria
2
To determine the causes of insecurity
in Nigeria
3
To determine the effect of insecurity
on national development in Nigeria
4 To
determine measures to mitigate and eliminate insecurity I in Nigeria.
1.5
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
The study shall provide an analysis of the nature , causes
and effect of insecurity on national
development in Nigeria with a view to determine measures to mitigate and
eliminate the trend.
It shall also serve a veritable source of
information on issues of insecurity and
national development in Nigeria
1.6
STATEMENT OF HYPOTHESIS
1
H0 The level of national
development in Nigeria is high
H1
The level of national development in Nigeria is low
2
H0 The level of insecurity
in Nigeria is low
H1
The level of insecurity in Nigeria
is high
3 H0
The effect of insecurity on national development in Nigeria is low
H1
The effect of insecurity on national development in Nigeria is high
1.7
SCOPE OF THE STUDY
The
research is focused on appraising
insecurity as a threat to national development
in Nigeria
1.8
DEFINITION OF TERMS
THREAT
Fay (2007); states that threat is any
circumstance of event with the potential to cause harm to a system in the form
of destruction, disclosure, modification of data or denial of service. This suggest
that threat may be in deed or word and it includes activities that constitute
danger, risk, hazards and menace which are capable of intimidating an
individual.
DEVELOPMENT
ROGER (1976) describe development as the type
of social change in which new ideas are introduce within a social system to produce higher capital
incomes and levels of living through more production, Method and improved social organization