The former minister of transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, has stated that Nigeria’s fight against insecurity will remain ineffective unless the government tackles widespread hunger among citizens.
Speaking on Sunday during a virtual session with youths of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Amaechi argued that relying solely on military intervention without solving economic hardship only worsens instability.
“Any leader who wants to resolve the issue of insecurity in Nigeria will know that physical policing alone will not be the solution,” he said.
He added that “No matter how much you equip the police and the army, the other people will continue to equip themselves to fight back against the state actors.”
Recalling his time as governor of Rivers State, Amaechi said his administration combined law enforcement with social development by empowering communities and expanding infrastructure.
“When we got in, we started building primary schools in every village, constructing primary health care centres, and opening roads in rural communities,” he said.
He explained that contracts were awarded to people from the host communities, which allowed money to circulate locally.
“When you pay them, they pay their workers, and that money circulates in the community. It created jobs, kept people busy, and reduced crime.
“We created alternatives first, then policed the state. People knew that if they got involved in banditry or kidnapping, they were lawbreakers, not freedom fighters.
“You can’t police hunger. You build peace when people have work, dignity, and faith in government.”