Service Chiefs to Nigerians: We’ll end security challenges

Security chiefs, yesterday, reassured Nigerians of government’s commitment to ending insecurity across the country. National Security Adviser (NSA), Maj-Gen. Babagana Monguno (rtd) made the commitment on their behalf in Kaduna at a town hall meeting of security chiefs, state governors and major stakeholders on the protracted insecurity in the North-West of the country.

Monguno said that the meeting was aimed at addressing the security concerns bedevilling the North-West and other parts of the country.

The NSA said similar meetings would hold in other zones in a bid to find comprehensive solutions to the security challenges. He stressed that President Muhammadu Buhari is worried about the persistent insecurity and emerging threats accompanied by loss of lives all over the country.

“What is happening in the North-East and North-West is worrisome and the president is committed to bringing it to an end.

“With the new Service Chiefs, there will be a new dimension in tackling the insecurity of the country. Nigeria also needs to tackle its diversity just like other countries have done.

“We have a lot of people who are undermining what we are doing. Some people believe that there is no hope again, but I don’t think the end of time has come. We have to hold ourselves together and be our brothers’ keeper,” Monguno said.

He acknowledged that though security was the core responsibility of government, it required the support of Nigerians at all levels to bring about a better and safer country. “The nature of insecurity in the 21st century is different from what we knew in the earlier centuries, this is why we need a multifaceted approach in dealing with emerging threats and insecurity in the country.

“I don’t want to believe that we are unable to bring to an end to the insecurity in the country, but perhaps we do not have the will to do that as a people. “But I am reassuring you that with the arrival of the new Service Chiefs and other security heads, government is redoubling its efforts.

“Government is just one arm of the issues, that is why we decided to have an all-encompassing approach, including the whole society in bringing to an end the problems of insecurity bedevilling the country,” he said.

Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Maj-Gen. Lucky Irabor, who was at the meeting, said that government and the Service Chiefs were committed to bringing about lasting peace in  the area and the country in general.

“We have come to give you assurance that some reorganisations are being undertaken currently to change the tide of insecurity in the country and across the land. We are in no doubt as to whether there are issues. We are in no doubt as to whether you have concerns. That we appreciate and we have noted and that is the reason why we felt we need to be here in our numbers.

“So, our coming today is more of feeling your pulse and reassuring you that the Federal Government under the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari is not asleep in terms of security because the National Security Adviser, myself as well as the Service Chiefs, the Inspector- General of Police and the Director General of Department of State Services (DSS) and every other arm of the security agencies are hoping to ensuring that there is a difference.

“We are assuring you that we are not resting on our oars, some reorganisations are on the table to change the tide of insecurity in the North-West and the country at large,” Irabor said. He noted that some reports on insecurity being circulated in both the traditional and online media were false, but have aggravated the situation. “We are reassuring you that the Federal Government of President Buhari is not relenting on insecurity and the NSA, Service Chiefs and other heads of security agencies are working hard to bring to an end the menace,” Irabor said. In his closing remarks, Governor Nasir el-Rufai of Kaduna State expressed appreciation to the security agencies for their efforts in addressing the problem of insecurity in the country. He paid glowing tributes to security operatives who lose their lives on a daily basis in the cause of defending the country.

According to el-Rufai, the bandits were becoming bolder as they even have the audacity now to attack military camps and ambush those on patrol.

“Lives are being lost, yet some people that are not informed say that nothing is being done. We commend the armed forces for what they are doing along with other security agencies to make our states safer. We are not where we should be, but things would have been much worse if the armed forces, the police and other security agencies are not doing what they are doing, which many people think is not enough.

“But those of us working with them and receiving security reports know that they are doing as much as they can in the circumstance.

“We support our military, the police, our security agencies, not only with prayer, but we call for them to be better equipped, to be greater in number, so that this problem can be solved once and for all,” he said.

El-Rufai said that the presence of the Service Chiefs at the meeting was an indication of their willingness to be open to ideas from the highest to the lowest level of the society on how to address the problem of insecurity.

According to him, security is a collective responsibility and everyone has a role to play to bring the current insecurity to an end. Meanwhile, following what the organizers described as the inability of many of the stakeholders to attend the meeting because of the short notice, the Town Hall Meeting was rescheduled for a later date to be announced by the NSA.

According to el-Rufai, “This Town Hall Meeting is not possible to be concluded with the absence of certain stakeholders, because of shortness of notice. There are supposed to be religious and community leaders from each state of the North-West, but they have not been able to make it because of the short notice. (New Telegraph)