By Lucy Osuizigbo
Lagos – Dr Joe Okei-Odumakin, President, Centre for Change Initiative, has called on the Federal Government to beef up security of lives and property of Nigerians before and during the forthcoming general elections.
Okei-Odumakin, in a statement on Sunday in Lagos, also urged security agencies to always be on the alert before, during and after the elections.
According to her, life is sacrosanct and should therefore be protected by those empowered by law to do so.
”Top on the list of security agencies that is more people and community oriented, is the Nigeria Police which we expect to become more proactive in securing lives of citizens.
”We urge our security operatives to please be on the alert always especially before, during and after the elections.
”We equally appeal that the perpetrators of dastard and heinous acts are brought to book in no time.
”Our politicians should be happy to lead the living instead of marching over the graves of the dead,” she said.
Okei-Odumakin said that the prevailing spate of killings of political figures in recent times called for serious concern.
According to her, the government, whose primary duty is to ensure the security of lives and property of citizens must curtail such excesses now.
”We are excruciatingly pained and greatly disappointed too that the players and circumstantial beneficiaries of the struggle for the enthronement of democratic system of government in Nigeria are not playing by the rules of democracy as obtained in developed nations of the world.
”We are equally bothered and seriously troubled with the “do or die” mindset of our politicians and followers since the emergence of democracy in 1999.
”No one with human blood flowing in his/her veins will be happy to see his/her child(ren) being hit by live bullets or felled by dangerous weapons, simply because of political or ideological differences.
”The same is the feeling that is expected of a flesh hearted and responsible government from the centre of power down to the grassroots, ” she said.