Govt’s failure to tackle poverty will worsen insecurity – Jimoh Ibrahim

The Chairman of the Senate Interparliamentary Committee, Senator Jimoh Ibrahim, on Wednesday, said the failure of any government to address the burden of poverty will always fuel the problem of insecurity in its region.

Ibrahim and other modern war studies experts also urged global parliamentarians to support the Ministries of Defence’s annual budget to curb insecurity across the world.

The lawmaker stated this during the 150th inter-parliamentary meeting in Uzbekistan, stressing that the body should collaborate and support defence budgets as insecurity is likely to escalate in the 21st century.

This was disclosed in a statement in Abuja by his media team on Wednesday.

He emphasised the need for a supportive rather than an investigative approach, asserting that human life is priceless.

“The central question for governments and security agencies should be: security for whom, when, and how? Addressing power and insecurity issues alongside their ecosystems is key to the security of the geocentric system. The government’s failure to address poverty effectively will further exacerbate insecurity,” he stated.

Continuing, Ibrahim noted that the government’s approach to security is marked by a constant flip between fear and courage that the system is failing.

“Life is increasingly tricky amid this struggle, yet we still maintain a defence structure. It is only a matter of time before one of these emotions- fear or courage- prevails.  I saw fear within government leadership, leading to unprecedented crises and heightened insecurity,” he said.

The Senator responded to inquiries from the international media in Uzbekistan and emphasised that parliament needs to adopt a more supportive and friendly stance rather than merely fulfilling its traditional oversight duties regarding the Ministry of Defence appropriations.

The former Ondo governorship aspirant observed a noticeable shift in the relationship between the goals of poverty reduction and governmental efficiency, stressing that it is often the area where domestic insecurity arises.

According to him, when Parliament functions as an oversight entity examining security expenditures, it might inadvertently foster insecurity.

He highlighted that efficient system and process creation and management could assist in fighting fraud related to security spending, a key concern for Parliament.