..Decries dearth of patriotism in Nigeria
Honourable Sir Jude Chukwuemeka Omobowale Idimogu, former lawmaker representing Oshodi/Isolo State Constituency 02 at the Lagos House of Assembly, has stated that the President, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, cannot fight insecurity alone, adding that all hands must be on deck to win the war against banditry, kidnapping, insurgency and terrorism.
The former lawmaker who also decried the absence of patriotism in the lives of modern day Nigerians, was addressing the media on Thursday, June 19, 2025.
He condemned the attitude of people blaming the president at the slightest opportunity, saying that security is everybody’s responsibility even though there were people trained and employed for the purpose of securing the nation.
He said, “A lot of Nigerians always accuse the president of not doing enough as regards insecurity in the country. Well I want to state that the issue of policing in Nigeria, security wise, is everybody’s concern, it is everybody’s duty.
“It is not just the president, it is not just even the armed forces, it is not just the police, it is everybody’s business, every Nigerian should be eager to defend their territory legally, I am not saying carry arms illegally.
“Yes there are people that have been trained and employed probably for that purpose, however insecurity in Nigeria has been there even before the president came in,” Idimogu said.
He said the president has done plausibly well in the fight against insecurity through provision of necessary equipment, and harped on the need for those appointed to secure the nation to also do their job since the president could not be everywhere. “And I must tell you that the president has been doing his very best, just one person. He needs information from the citizens.
“For the president, he has been doing so much and is still doing, he has spent so much on ammunition, he has spent so much on equipping the security men, both the police, the army, just tell me, the armed forces, he has been up and doing, but as I said he is just one person. He gives directives, and when he gives directives, is he the only one that will always know whether that directive was carried out or not? What of his Lieutenants? What of his Ministers, what of his appointees, what are they doing, what of the ordinary Nigerians? What are they doing, Nigeria has become, the life of human being is nothing to them, it is terrible, I think Nigeria as a country has to have a rethink, they have to have a rethink, why are we shedding blood?”
He decried the absence of patriotism and entrenchment of religion and tribalism for which Nigeria has become negatively prominent “You see my challenge with my people in my country is lack of patriotism, we are so sentimental, we are so religiously inclined, talking about the Moslems, talking about the Christians, talk about the Fulanis, talk about the Hausas, talk about the Igbos, the Yorubas, the country is not one, it is not one, and as long as it stands this way, there would be saboteurs, everywhere even in the hierarchy of the military, even in the hierarchy of the police, in every sector of this economy of Nigeria, there are sabotage going on, because I am not from the same place, because I am not practising the same religion with you, it is terrible.
“So solving this problem in Nigeria, all hands must be on deck. Immediately we Nigerians decide and say look, we want our country to be better, it will be better, but it is not on a platter if gold, a price has to be paid,” Hon Idimogu stated.
He disclosed that in governance, a leader must carry the people along, even as he sympathized with the Benue State Governor. “My heart goes to the Benue State Governor, and he is a Reverend Father, a Christian, I know by now he would be thinking, if I had known I wouldn’t have ventured into politics, but that is the challenge, Politics is not only meant for the saint or the bad person, it is meant for everybody, believe that you can deliver, go and try your luck, and if you are lucky you do well and also you cannot do without the people.
“So I don’t know, it is not enough to say God will help, God will help, but God help those who help themselves,” he said.
Idimogu commended the president who cancelled a state visit in order to visit the people of Benue to see things for himself. “The president is doing enough, okay, imagine, he has official visit, he has to cancel it to go and see what is happening, they say seeing is believing, I mean, I don’t understand why people take joy in taking other people’s lives, why do people take joy in killing and maiming? For what, what are we struggling for, have we not realized that one day all of us will die and whatever we are struggling for on earth, what is it, why can’t we live in peace with our neighbors, why, what is the problem?”
He said there is need to do a soul search, adding that Nigerians alone are the people that can help Nigeria, not foreigners. “I just believe that we have to do a search of soul, Nigerians are the only people that can help Nigeria, foreigners cannot do it for us, so I think, Nigerians should give president Bola Ahmed Tinubu the necessary support and for those security men that have been given responsibility to ensure that lives and property are safe, should also rise up and do their job. They should do their job the way it supposed to be.”
He made it clear that with current insecurity in the land and the difficulty been experienced in fighting it, it is obvious the whole gamut of the security architecture has been infiltrated. “I know a lot of bad eggs have infiltrated the military, has infiltrated the police, has infiltrated all the security sectors in Nigeria and their mindset is to maim and kill. I don’t know, as I said before, I repeat, we lack patriotism, full of sentiments, we are filled with tribalism, we are full of nepotism, we are full of hatred and lack of love. Can we continue this way? Where did we go wrong, why can’t we do search of soul, why are we seeing our neighbors, our fellow Nigerians as enemies? Why? There are some group of people who believe that, probably, power belongs to them, and they can do whatever they can do, and you cannot even call them to order. You know, it is terrible.
“Like I always say, the president cannot do it alone, he cannot be everywhere, he is a human being like us, he cannot, and I think he is doing his very best, to salvage this country, Nigeria. But his best can only be good enough when he is well supported by leaders of other ethnic groups, leaders and people that have responsibilities to defend the nation.”
He asked, “where has our patriotism gone to? Why are we answering Nigerians when we cannot defend our country? Why do we hate our country like this? Why do we take joy in killing human beings created like you? Why?”
He has words of encouragement for the president. “But for the president, I would continue to encourage you, continue to put in your best for the country, Nigeria, continue to do the best you can do, and I know that God will give you the wisdom and the support to overcome.”
Idimogu also spoke on the need for the people to also play critical role in securing the nation. “The people have a role to play, of course, remember even the military men, the police, the armed forces, are all from the general public, they are all Nigerians, how many foreigners are there, even if foreigners have come in there, they have used the name of Nigeria to enter and infiltrate the place, security is the job of the people, because when a country is not secured, of course, what are you doing? Everything will be scattered, there will be no law, there will be no rules, no order and when you lack order in a country, it is anarchy.
“So the people should rise up, in fact at a point, everybody cannot be in government, everybody is governmwent at the same time, both the leaders and the followers, they are all government, can we please help ourselves, can we please take this country as one, can we please defend our own country and defend our lives.
Idimogu decried the killing of fellow Nigerians at this modern time and civilisation when other countries’ citizens do everything to protect themselves. “Without the people security cannot work, why killing people, to achieve what, I don’t understand, in this modern day that other countries are trying to protect their citizens, moving forward, we are busy creating hatred in our hearts, killing our fellow Nigerians, to achieve what? May God help Nigeria.”
