Senator Seriake Dickson, representing Bayelsa West, has blamed Nigeria’s escalating security crisis on the collapse of leadership and governance at the Local Government level. He called for urgent reforms to empower grassroots authorities and restore security across affected regions.
Dickson made the remarks on Monday following a phone call with Governor Hyacinth Alia of Benue State, where over the weekend, dozens of residents were reportedly killed in fresh attacks.
“I condoled with him, the government, and the good people of Benue State, as well as the families and loved ones of those who died in this dastardly massacre,” the senator stated in a Facebook post.
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He described the killings as “almost at a genocidal proportion,” warning that the country is becoming dangerously numb to bloodshed.
“We cannot be a nation where hundreds of our citizens are killed routinely on a daily basis,” he said. “We are gradually becoming so used to the bloodletting that it no longer makes news. This is abnormal. It is turning us into a nation of brutes and lawlessness, a failed state.”
Dickson welcomed the federal deployment of security personnel to Benue, which Governor Alia confirmed during their conversation. He urged the state government to support security operations and engage the public in peace building efforts.
Local Government collapse linked to insecurity
The former Bayelsa governor emphasized that the weakness of the local government system remains a major factor in Nigeria’s security challenges.
“At the base of our nation’s political system the Local Government areas, there is a lacuna: a gap in leadership and capacity to function, which is also affecting our national security,” he said.
Dickson urged President Bola Tinubu to ensure full implementation of the Supreme Court ruling that mandates direct funding of Local Government Councils. He argued that empowering Council chairpersons to collaborate directly with Divisional Police Officers (DPOs) and local security agents is crucial to effective governance and community safety.
“The cooperation and understanding of governors must be obtained to ensure full autonomy, so council chairmen can take responsibility alongside DPOs and local officers who are familiar with the communities and their challenges,” he said.
Citing his experience as governor from 2012 to 2020, Dickson said decentralizing security structures was key to managing conflict in Bayelsa and urged other states to adopt similar approaches.
He also restated his support for state policing and stressed the importance of bipartisan cooperation in tackling insecurity.
“As I have always maintained, issues of national security, the economy, and the protection of our national values and democracy know no political colour,” he said.
