The Michael Imoudu National Institute for Labour Studies (MINILS), Ilorin says it has introduced security studies in its curricula.
According to the institute, the development is part of its efforts to curb the growing insecurity in the country.
MINILS Director General, Comrade Issa Aremu, stated this in Ilorin , the Kwara state capital, North Central Nigeria on the sidelines of the 2022 Ramadan lecture of the institute themed “Security and National Development: The Islamic Perspectives”.
To this end, according to him, the institute has begun talks with the National Institute for Security Studies to ensure that the new academic programme commences in earnest.
However, the MINILS boss said the security course was being incorporated into the curricula of the institute for workers to be trained on issues relating to safety and security.
Aremu said the new course would enable his institute and workers build synergy with security agencies to work together to secure the country.
Bemoaning the recent attack on Abuja-Kaduna bound train that resulted in the death of some labour leaders, the MINILS Director General noted that workers are citizens of the country and deserved all forms of protection available.
“We chose the theme of security for Ramadan lecture as part of our effort to complement effort of the federal government to address the problem of insecurity. The issue of security should be an inclusive one. It shouldn’t just be for government and its institutions but for all of us in the community. In any case, every crime is local, and every crime affects everyone of us.
“Secondly, we have also realized that in line with our mandate, we will continue to build capacity for the workers in all labour issues. But we have also realized that we must expand the scope now because workers are also citizens. And we have expanded our curriculum to include security studies.
“This is very significant because many workers have lost their lives in the midst of insecurity. Often, we have reduced victims to statistics forgetting that they are workers. One of the drivers of the dastardly drastic attack on Abuja-Kaduna train has been kidnapped, one luckily escaped while two female attendants, who normally served in the train, were killed. We lost TUC Secretary General, Dr Musa Lawal, and Chairperson of Kwara State Chapter of the union, Comrade Akinsola Akinwumi.
“So, security issue is a total commitment for us. We decided that workers must also be trained about security so that we use it to build synergy with security agencies so that we can all work together to secure the country. And if you are not secured, you can’t work. And if you can’t work, you can’t earn your pay”, he said.
Aremu called for change of approach to security issue, saying that every Nigerian must reason and work collectively to defeat agents of destabilization.
He said, “We must have a broader, patriotic, pan-Nigeria view and non-partisan approach to issue of security. It is not lack of effort that we are facing these challenges but largely because of lack of unity. I want to say that if we operate separately, we will be defeated separately by bandits. But if we operate as a united front, we can confront any security challenge.
“We are not short of ideas. We should revisit some of those conclusions of 2014 National Conference, because the beauty of that conference is that it was all inclusive”.
A Professor of Islamic Studies at Al-Hikmah University, Ilorin, Professor Abdullateef Oladimeji, who delivered the lecture, insisted that protection only comes from the Almighty God.
Ime N