Poor information sharing fuels insecurity, says Man O’ War

The Lagos State Commander of Man O’ War Nigeria, Ayodele Ajayi, has attributed Nigeria’s lingering insecurity to poor information sharing among citizens, stressing that security is a collective responsibility that requires active public participation and timely intelligence.

Ajayi stated this on Saturday during the inaugural lecture organised by the Lagos State Command of Man O’ War Nigeria, themed “From Vigilance to Intelligence: The Role of Citizens in Modern Security Architecture.”

The event, held at the Women Development Centre, Agege, Lagos State, was attended by representatives of key stakeholders in Nigeria’s security architecture, including the military, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, the Nigeria Customs Service, and other security agencies.

Speaking at the event, Ajayi said Man O’ War was established to build leadership capacity and civic responsibility, adding that the organisation considered security a shared duty.

Security is everybody’s business. One of the ways to be a good and responsible citizen is to organise programmes like this where discussions on security can take place and information can be shared,” he said.

According to him, Nigeria’s security challenges have been worsened by poor information sharing and inadequate public awareness of citizens’ roles in supporting security agencies.

“We are in this security mess because we’ve not been sharing information well, or maybe we’ve not been sharing information through the right channels.

We’ve also not been teaching citizens their roles. Security is not just for the agencies; citizens also have an active role to play. Information can never be too much, and teaching can never be too much,” Ajayi said.

He expressed optimism that participants at the lecture would leave with a better understanding of the kind of information to provide security agencies.

“I’m sure one takeaway from this lecture is that we all know security is our civic responsibility. People have been able to learn, relearn and unlearn some things about security,” he added.

On the growing calls for state policing, Ajayi said it was not for Man O’ War to determine which organisation should assume such a role, noting that the decision rested with the government.

“It is not in the hands of Man O’ War to decide. We have a responsible government, and the government knows what to do,” he said.

He, however, noted that the organisation had the structure and trained personnel across the grassroots to undertake any responsibility assigned by the government.

“In terms of structure, Man O’ War has a structure down to the grassroots, and we have trained personnel ready to take up any function assigned to us by the government. But it is not our role to say this is what we want to do.

He, however, noted that the organisation had the structure and trained personnel across the grassroots to undertake any responsibility assigned by the government.

“In terms of structure, Man O’ War has a structure down to the grassroots, and we have trained personnel ready to take up any function assigned to us by the government. But it is not our role to say this is what we want to do.

The government will determine who is responsible for state policing or which agency will take up that responsibility,” he said.

Ajayi also addressed public perception of the organisation, acknowledging that Man O’ War had previously been viewed negatively by some members of the public.

“In the past, people felt Man O’ War was just an organisation where people were beaten around. Like every organisation, there may be bad eggs, but what we’ve done in recent times is rebrand the organisation.

“You can see it in our dressing, our appearance and the kind of programmes we organise. It’s a matter of perception, and people can now see the rebranding that has taken place,” he said.

He urged Nigerian youths to become more responsible citizens rather than placing all their expectations on the government.

“The future lies in our hands, and a country that doesn’t take its youth seriously is killing its future. We shouldn’t wait for the government to do everything for us. We should take responsibility in our own little corners because we are all leaders in our own little corners.

“People blame President Bola Tinubu whenever something happens, but I always ask, ‘What have you done?’ If every young person becomes a responsible citizen and plays their part, Nigeria will be a better place for all,” he said.

He also disclosed that the lecture would not be a one-off event, revealing that the command planned to organise two additional editions before the end of the year.

“By the special grace of God, we are planning two more before the end of this year. It’s going to be a continuous programme where we engage and re-enlighten citizens,” he said.