The
Nigerian-American Leadership Council (NALC) concluded a successful Security
Summit at the National Press Club in Washington, DC on Friday September 27,
2013.
The Summit was attended by various organizations, policy
consultants, and security experts; and also professionals from the
Nigerian-American Diaspora, among others with interest in Nigerian and
Sub-Saharan African matters.
The Summit, with a mission to seek “Socio-economic and
socio-political solutions to Militancy in Nigeria” featured empanelled experts
like Jacob Zenn, West Africa Analyst for
Jamestown Foundation and Consultant for US Peace Institute (USIP); Samuel
Okechukwu Mbonu, Executive Director of Nigerian-American Leadership Council,
and expert on Public Policy, Community Development, and Sub-Saharan Africa
governance matters; Dr.
Emmanuel Onyekwere, formerly Senior Executive with the
Washington, DC Department of Transportation, Management Consultant, and
Director at several US-based international corporations; Kayode
Tani-Olu, former Foreign Service Officer and Business Executive, and others.
Jacob Zenn, a JD from Georgetown University, analyst of African and
Eurasian affairs and legal adviser, with expertise in international law and
best practices for civil society and freedom of association; did prior field
work and research in Nigeria, Mali, Chad, Niger, Cameroon, Somalia, Kenya;
among other locations.
Mr.
Zenn tapped on his recent
testimony before the US Congress on Islamist Militant Threats to Eurasia in
February 2013,where he provided expert testimony on Nigeria for
terrorism-related court trials, and
consultations with think-tanks on countering violent extremism in sub-Saharan
Africa and Central Asia; to proffer solutions to militancy including
include: 1. identifying
high-tensions areas and minimizing risk while identifying allies within Muslim
community; 2. Weeding out corrupt officials; 3. Formalizing the Civilian JTF;
and 4. Creating a Regional approach with the surrounding ECOWAS.
Zenn expressed great
concern that: “Nigeria,
with a larger Muslim and Christian population than Egypt did not get high
attention and policy priority from major powers before now.”
Dr. Emmanuel Onyekwere, in his remarks stressed: “Outside
of a possible Boko Haram goal of Islamizing the entire Nigeria, which is not
realistic, corruption in government prevents the government from having the
right kind of social safety-net that could have caught the downtrodden across
Nigeria, and forestall this descent into insurgency”. Onyekwere also cautioned that “the politicians should be
very wary about their role in using the downtrodden to create a militancy that
invariably becomes difficult to contain.
The
highlight of the Summit was the call from the Executive
Director of NALC, Samuel
Okechukwu Mbonu, for: “
A Community Development Fund (CDF)’, developed by the Nigerian government and
the private sector; which should be channeled into skills training for youth
across Nigeria (with federal, state, and local government, plus private sector
input).
Per
Mbonu’s remarks: The
Northern Nigeria part of this fund should be managed by reputable Imams in the north; thereby giving the Imams a role and direct opportunity to
impact positive youth development, which prepares youth for work, and or the
starting of small and medium enterprises (SME’s), not just religious
indoctrination. This fund
should include a stipend, while the training is on-going, and include a special
grant for SME startup, upon completion of training, for those inclined to
entrepreneurship.”
Mbonu who is an expert in
Community Development, pursuant to his previous role as “Commissioner for Housing &
Community Development” in Suburban Maryland; added that “the government of Nigeria can
contact the Nigerian-American Leadership Council (NALC) for the modalities for
raising and administering such a CIF.”
Other Nigerian-American experts who
attended the Summit include US Navy Veteran and Homeland Security expertAdewale
Adetimehin who expressed his
dismay with Nigeria’s crumbling institutions including the law enforcement
agencies; Adetimehin noted: The youths of Nigeria must salvage
Nigeria by taking a frontal approach to stop Nigeria from disintegrating, due
to insecurity and other failures;” he
advised “that the youth
confront the wrongs in the system and demand change from the political
leadership.”
Other
Diaspora Nigerians contributing to discussions include US Military Veteran, Law
Enforcement and Security Professional Abayomi
Afolayan, who called for “Nigerian
political leadership to address practical issues like the wrought in power and
infrastructure which is holding the economy down.”
Dr. Charles Mbonu, an executive with the US government also called for “support
of the political class to stem the insecurity, by toning down their rhetoric;
and also an aggressive enlightenment campaign for the youth, to sensitize
youths that political power should not be seen as an entitlement, but rather as
a development tool for the whole country, with the leaders seeking the proper
consent of the governed, and not the forceful imposition of any ideology.”
NALC Advisory Board member and former Foreign
Service Officer Kayode Tani-Olu lamented: “the
lack of patriotism among the political leadership, which has given rise to a
state of insecurity, is taking Nigeria to a precipice that could take the
nation down, to the detriment of all Nigerians, including the Politicians who
may not have anyone to govern in the possible eventuality of disintegration.”
The Nigerian-American Leadership Council (NALC) has in the
meantime commenced plans for its next Security
Summit in the “Spring” of 2014. The
Council is calling on interested experts to submit letters of interest to
participate in the next Summit. The
next NALC Security Summit promises to be more encompassing than the last one.
About
Nigerian-American Leadership Council (NALC): NALC is chartered in Washington, DC; it is an emerging
Think-Tank, Policy Advisory and Research Center for Nigerian and Sub-Saharan
African matters. NALC
engages in various scholarly programs that include:
Advocacy for the
Nigerian-American and Continental African Community; Confronting human rights
abuses, indignity and racial profiling; Confronting the emerging security
situation in Nigeria and the West African region; Facilitating positive
interfaith religious dialogue among Nigerian Christians and Moslems; Ensuring
good governance and credible elections in Nigeria and Sub-Saharan Africa.
Signed:
Ingrid
Begman,
Media Relations (NALC) 1701 Pennsylvania
Ave, Suite 300, NW, Washington
Tel: 202 379-2848
Email: na.leadershipcouncil@usa.com
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