Former President Goodluck Jonathan has advised the federal government to deploy the use of technology to check banditry and other forms of crimes in the country.
Jonathan gave the advice on Sunday, July 18, during a speech at the 50th birthday celebration of a former Minister of Aviation, Osita Chidoka, in Abuja.
The former president showered encomiums on Chidoka, who he described as a special person and gift to Anambra State and Nigeria.
Jonathan said: “The day you (Osita) were born was the day armed robbers were first shot in Nigeria, it speaks a lot. Luckily you are not an armed robber. But gone are the days when armed robbers were being shot.
“Cases of armed robbery and others going on now shows clearly that bullets alone cannot stop it or other criminal activities.
“It requires top-quality programmes of the government, it requires technology, it requires a lot to stop the armed robbery and all forms of crimes, including corruption that we talk about every day because it is difficult to make a rule and think that that would solve the problems.
“As you are killing armed robbers, others are robbing the pockets of others in the same arena. That is the kind of society we are in today. Things are becoming more complex with the introduction of IT (Information Technology) that is now ruling the world.”
In his vote of thanks, the celebrant reflected on his life journey in the past 50 years, paying special commendation to his former boss, Late Ojo Maduekwe and Arthur Eze, who he revealed did not only facilitate his appointment as Minister of Aviation but also played important roles in his journey up the leader.
