“This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.” … 2 Timothy 3:1
The holy scripture drew the attention of humanity to a period that it described as perilous times. Knowing what perilous is all about, the question on every lips is: “ Is this the perilous times ? Come to think of it, when exactly did the holy scripture predicted is the time that we can consider perilous.
With the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic, that is ravaging and changing the entire world system, many affirm that the predicted time is now. According to Webster dictionary, perilous means “full of danger or risk or exposed to imminent risk of disaster or ruin” .
Is this therefore the anticipated perilous time? When coronavirus is claiming human lives from every community around the world, claiming millions. When both world economy is seriously threathened. A time when mankind are deprived of essentials of life. A time when insecurity has threatened and over stretched the resolve of security agencies across the world.
Indeed these are perilous times. Period of uncertainty. People die in their hundreds and thousands around the world, decreasing the population. There is palpable fear around every corner. The Coronavirus has held sway as the only thing that must be feared apart from the creator. Millions have had their means of livelihood ceased and closed down. Every sector in the world have been deeply affected. Even governments look bereft of ideas. People now go begging like never before. These are perilous times. Job cut, companies closing down and health related issues on the increase. Yes, this is perilous times.
A time when citizens question their political leaders and security activities in their country not withstanding the repercussion nor the fall-out of their actions.
It was unimaginable in the early fifties to hear that a young girl or boy would allow himself to be wrapped with device as suicide bomber that would blow him or her into pieces, just because of ideological sermon.
The situation has deteriorated to the extent that people forcefully abduct their neighbors and innocent travelers for ransom .
The situation has gradually snowballed into a hellish state of living where man’s inhumanity to man is more preferred. Where men are no longer trusted with public money. Corruption rearing its ugly head in every government institutions. Where parents pay for external students to seat for their wards in an examination. It has worsened to the level where security agents fabricate allegations just to robe in others for prosecution. Inflation is noticeable everywhere. Truely, the days are evil. When evil thrive in a community or country, it should be noted that either the economy has failed or that there is political upheaval or that there is either ethnic or religious palavar. Citing the needless and merciless killings in the northern part of Nigeria .
These four factors, economy, politics, ethnicity and religion have throughout ages been the bane of every of mans problems. Today, the Chinese pandemic has further thrown up the belief and has further complicated everything in life. Further drawing the world attention to the bare truth that indeed, these are perilous times.
————- —— —— —- —-
Evil of inter agency rivalry (1)
When there is an atom of rivalry between heads of departments in any institution, the result is never palatable as there is much display of intrigues and back stabbing.
When there is rivalry, it evokes jealousy, dislike, hatred and enemity. Simply explained, rivalry is demonic.
Biblical record disclosed that Lucifer had wanted to be like God, a sort of rilvary and it led to his eviction from heaven in an heavenly war .
In Nigeria, rivalry among security agencies have crippled operational activities that ought to benefit members of the public and enhance the integrity of the Federal government. What do we see? A situation where rivalry is gradually tearing apart security agencies under the same government. Similarly when two wives are under the roof of a man, most often, rivalry is detected. The 1993 World Trade Center bombing, although a terrorist attack, has been described as the result of inter agency rivalry in the United State. However, after the rivalry was resolved, all the security agencies agreed to work together and impressively, the financier and adviser of the operation, one Mohammed was arrested including the uncle of Ramzi Yousef, who was the lead bomber in that attack on March 1, 2003, in Rawalpindi, Pakistan . Rivalry makes security agencies not to be on top of each of their operational activities .
Also rivalry most often makes security agencies to take the position of Shylock by not sharing needed information with sister agency. Truely intelligence sharing should be the network that make operation successful. Security personnels go the extra mile to secure these vital informations. So, by sharing them makes the fight against criminals easy. Many years back as a junior Crime reporter with the defunct National Concord Newspaper, l gathered that most taxi drivers were disguised security agents who collate information and pass them back to their offices after the day’s job. Also, there are disguised security agents that are university students. These set of students never graduate.
These were intelligence agents whose major assignment was to monitor the activities of radical students and cult members in the campus. These set of lntelligence agents are everywhere in the society, at religious venues and market places and even among journalists. These agents attended controversial press conferences and would introduce themselves as reporters of non existent newpapers or magazines. They were many lntelligence agents disguising as journalist in many newspapers. l remembered when as the chief Head security officer of Household of God church, the Pastor of the church, Reverend Chris Okotie would jokingly ask the congregation if there were lnteligence agents in the church.
That shows how far the intelligence personnel went to do their job. Today, our intelligence agents have been politicised and the zeal has waned. They have suddenly been overshadowed by inter-agency rivalry which ought not to be.
( To be continued)