Restructuring, state police not what Nigeria needs now – Dr Ikyaan

While some people have been clamouring for restructure and creation of state police in the country, the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), governorship candidate in Benue state, Rev Dr Frederick Ikyaan has said that Nigeria needs a total restructuring of the citizens’ mindset rather than fiscal restructuring.

Ikyaan said there was need for everyone to look at issues confronting the country holistically and objectively so as to attract investment and development of the economy.

The governorship candidate said this on Tuesday during an interview with journalists in Abuja, adding “it’s about the mindset and inability to turn the resources around for the good of everyone.”

The clergy argued, “We were not here 30 years ago, by 1960 we had 12 states or so, a little later we had 19 states, then they grew up to 21 and then eventually 36 states.

And this started from the regions when we had the six regions, but there was nothing wrong with that and even now there’s still nothing wrong.”

“Even if we make every state a region, if you like restructure Nigeria to 12 regions, whatever you do if the human attitude is still the same, you are bound to find the same result, I think it’s about a change of mind and not restructuring.

What we need to restructure is the mind. If you like make it 100 states we are still going to have the same problems.”

On the issue of insecurity in Benue state and if the present administration has done enough to curb it, he said it’s not possible to do enough, you can only do the much you can do at a given time.

“I commend them, they have done their best. Our governor, it’s like he gave his life and we commend him but like I said it’s not possible to do enough. Security is a major issue in any community or nation.

I know that the issue of security are diverse, sometimes idle hands are also readily engaged in violence that leads to insecurity. So we need to engage these young people, by the time they are very busy, whosoever comes from anywhere can’t find anyone willing to use.”

He advised that the structures of security in the country should be looked at. “We know the police and military are there, the vigilantes and so on.

I’m sure that if we engage such groups, you can be very sure that they will provide enough territorial security and it will be difficult for anybody to come from anywhere and invade our land.”

On State police, he opined, “I don’t think the state owning state police that’s a solution. If it’s state but still police, police is always police, whether it’s at the state or local or national level.

If the police are treated the way they ought to be treated with orientation and changes, it doesn’t matter the level on which you are operating police, it will still deliver, Ikyaan added.

Speaking further, Rev Ikyaan said that he has a deep sense of responsibility and humility that depends completely on God which he will apply to rescue Benue from years of retrogressive governance.

He promised to transform the state’s abundant agricultural produce through establishment of factories and processing plants to create jobs for the teaming unemployed in the state.

He expressed dissatisfaction with the inability of past governments in converting the fortunes of Benue into greater benefits for the people in the state in particular and Nigeria at large.

The Rev cum politician, appealed to the people of Benue to give him their support now and during the general election come 2019 so that together, they can transform the state to an enviable height.

He said that once, elected, he would deploy every necessary mechanism to attract investments to different sectors of economy in the state.

Ikyaan assured that he will swing into action with training and empowerment of farmers in all the local government areas in the state to enable them derive value for their produce.

He also promised to tackle insecurity, infrastructural decay as well as create employment and address social vices amongst youth.