Senator Solomon Adeola, (APC, Lagos West) the Chairman of Senate Committee of Finance, has described the recent attack on Kuje Prison leading to the escape of terrorists and hardened criminals as traceable in part to the lack of strict control and mismanagement of international borders of Nigeria by the relevant authorities.
He was speaking as the Chief Launcher at the public presentation of a compendium of three books titled “Bridging African Boundaries: Cross Border Areas and Regional Integration in Comparative History and Policy Advocacy” authored by foremost authority and expert on African boundaries, emeritus Professor Anthony Asiwaju at National Universities Commission, Abuja.
“The only living Nigerian passionate about border issues and problems is Professor Asiwaju. At over 80 years he has remain focused for over three decades on the issues of borders, the people at the international borders, their problems and solutions all over Nigeria and indeed Africa. The relevance of his work can be seen in the problem of insurgency bedeviling our nation. Recently we had the Kuje Prison attack by a terrorist group that freed many terrorists and hardened criminals. From the video clip of the incidents and the language of the attackers, it is clear that these are foreigners that must have infiltrated our country through porous international borders. We need to take international border issues and people living along the borders more seriously than we have done” he stated.
The Senator, who presently represents Lagos West Senatorial District with an active international border at Seme and is now the APC candidate for 2023 for Ogun West Senatorial District with another active international border at Idiroko, stated that policy makers and leaders must take the issue of control and management of our borders and its people seriously to prevent the threat posed by insecurity with identifiable origin beyond our international borders adding that with the array of mostly experts at the book presentation, he will encourage and support any effort like workshops and seminars for policy makers and stakeholders to brainstorm and implement policy advocacy contained in the research work of the compendium.
Professor Yemi Osinbajo, the Vice President of Nigeria represented by his Deputy Chief of Staff, Dr. Adeola Ipaye, stated that Professor Asiwaju researches and efforts were instrumental to the establishment of major border control agencies like National Border Commission and the National Border Development Commission adding that at the continental level, the African Union established similar institutions based on the erudite professor’s work on border issues.
The author of the book, Professor Asiwaju, stated that the book is for tertiary level history students, readers, researchers and policy makers in the field of border studies adding that it is an effort to publicize history as an applied science to be relied on by those in charge of public policies in applying solutions to myriad of integrative and developmental problems.
Highlight of the occasion was the purchase of 100 copies of the book by Senator Adeola for donation to the libraries of the National Assembly, the Nigeria Institute of Legislative and Democratic Studies(NILDS) and other educational institutions in his senatorial district and beyond. For this feat, his noted outstanding performance as a consistent and progressive legislator over almost two decades as well as representing a district with a major border and aspiring to represent another with similar characteristics, the audience unanimously endorsed him as “Borderless Senator” of Nigeria capable of effectively representing any border constituency in Nigeria.
Among those present at the occasion were Oba Olanite Benjamin Ajayi, the Onimeko of Imeko-Yewa, Professor Nuhu Yaqub, who chaired the event, Dr, Hussaini Abdu, the Country Director, CARE International, Dr. Dauda Garuba and Professor Joseph Ogen, the reviewer of the compendium.