The Nigerian State, Security Management Mandate and Challenges in the Niger-Delta Region, Nigeria

Abstract

All over the world, provision of security to guaranty the protection of lives and property, welfare and rights of the citizenry has been the statutory responsibility of a responsible government. This is in view of the fact that individuals under social contract have surrendered their sovereignty to government, while government undertakes the protection of lives and property. Therefore, any government that cannot protect lives and property, guaranty civil liberties and public good is simply unattainable in today's realities. It is this legitimacy that mandates the Nigerian state(government) to maintain law and order, enforce rules and regulation of human conduct, and provides essential services to the citizenry. The 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria also authorizes the National Assembly to make laws regarding the maintenance and security of public safety and order. However,the Nigerian state seems to havebeen insensitive to security matters.The attendant effect being increased violence, terrorism and insurgency as well as high profile crimes which pose threats to national security especially, in the Niger-Delta region of Nigeria.This paper examines the effectiveness or otherwise of the Nigerian state in the discharge of its statutory security management mandate of protecting lives and property in Nigeria. It adopts descriptive method while social contract is the theoretical framework. Data collected centers on both primary and secondary sources. It was uncovered that government officials/political office holders who are entrusted with the responsibility of managing security to ensure protection of lives and property and the well-being of the citizenry were insensitive to the security plight of the citizenry. This has resulted in incessant and uncontrollable break-down of law and order leading to loss of lives and property in recent times. Based on these, it is recommended among other things that, Nigerian government at all levels should fund, equip, train and re-train security operatives to make them cope with the myriad of security challenges in the Niger-Delta region and the nation at large since security is the bed-rock of economic development.