BY SEYIFUN LUMEKO
After pressure from the National Assembly, States and concerned Nigerians to remove the present service chiefs, on Tuesday, President Muhammadu Buhari finally bowed and ordered a rejig of operational strategies of the nation’s security network.
The National Security Adviser (NSA), Major General Babagana Monguno (Rtd.), told State House Correspondents on Tuesday after the National Security Council meeting held at the State House.
Monguno disclosed that Buhari was working on a solution to the security crisis in some parts of the country.
He said that the Minister of Defense, Major General Bashir Salihi Magashi (Rtd), was “working on something” to give effect to President Buhari’s earlier marching orders to service chiefs.
Monguno said: ”President Buhari ordered a re-engineering of the security apparatus of the nation so as to mitigate the lapses that had given room for the security crisis witnessed in different parts of the country.
“Mr President has also directed we must rejig our strategy both in terms of operations and intelligence to further prevent catastrophes. We must bear in mind that we owe a duty to the people that elected this government and at the end of the day, without securing the nation all other things such as revamping the economy and fighting corruption cannot be addressed.
“I know it has not been easy, there has been a gradual loss of confidence over the years and the president is determined to restore confidence. So, for the issue of drugs, it is basically related to every form of violent crime in which these criminals just at the touch of a button give bent to homicidal instincts and go on a murderous rampage killing people.
“What he said today was virtually a reaffirmation of what he said the first time. Yes, Mr President said you are doing your best, as far as I’m concerned, but there’s still a lot more to be done. I’m more concerned about the promise we made to the larger Nigerian society and I am ordering an immediate re-engineering of the entire security apparatus. This is something that I believe will be done in a very short time, but I just want us to keep hope alive.
“I know how everybody feels, I know how Nigerians feel, definitely the President is not oblivious of the fact that securing the nation is a primary responsibility of government and I believe in his sincerity, but again, since he’s not an octopus, since he’s not a spirit, if he delegates to people, then the onus is on them to actually fulfil the legitimate expectations of the larger Nigerian society.
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“The office of the National Security Adviser, in conjunction with other security agencies, will work on a blueprint in a short, medium and a long term to address this matter.”
Monguno said the manner of killings of their victims can only mean one thing, which the bandits, kidnappers and terrorists are out of their minds.
