By Ismaila Chafe
President Muhammadu Buhari has vowed to re-energise and re-organise the nation’s security apparatus with a view to bringing to an end insurgency and other violent crimes across the country.
The president made the pledge in a New Year broadcast to the nation on Friday in Abuja.
He said the exercise would involve reorganising personnel of the armed forces and the police with a view to enhance their capacity to engage, push back and dismantle the operations of extremist and criminal groups waging war against communities in some parts of the country.
Buhari, however, expressed satisfaction over the level of professionalism so far displayed by the nation security forces particularly during the recent rescue mission of over 300 Kankara school boys in Katsina State.
He said: “In line with the current security challenges we are facing as a nation, I would like to reiterate the promise I made recently when over 300 of our boys abducted from Government Science Secondary School, Kankara were successfully rescued by our security operatives.
”The professionalism shown by our Security Forces and the collaboration from all stakeholders across both State and Federal Governments that led to the successful rescue of the boys is proof that Nigeria has the internal capacity to decisively deal with terror attacks on our citizens.
”However, we recognize that we rapidly have to move to a more proactive and preemptive posture to ensure that these sorts of traumatic incidents do not become a norm.
”Our administration is fully aware of the responsibility we have to protect the lives and property of all Nigerians, and we will not relent in learning and adapting to changing threats to our national security and civic wellbeing.”
On the economy, the president said his administration would continue to focus on programmes and policies aimed at promoting national economic diversification agenda to enhance food security in the country.
”Our focus is on revamping the economy through the national economic diversification agenda that supports the primary goal of national food self-sufficiency.
”This has helped reduce the growing food related inflationary figures and have in considerable measure positively impacted our food security status during the long months of the pandemic lock down,” he said.
According to him, his administration is also currently rebuilding the national infrastructure base and, in the process, introducing transformation through the rehabilitation, modernisation, and expansion of the railway system, national roads and bridges both in rural and urban centres.
He further revealed that airports and seaports across the country were also being reconstructed and rehabilitated to boost socio-economic activities in the country.
”The reforms we have put in place in the power sector would guarantee increased efficiency in our drive to significantly expand the generation and distribution of electricity for use in homes and factories.
”As an administration we are currently undertaking a series of special interventions designed to boost job creation and support the entrepreneurial drive of our youths.”
On the recent reopening of the nation’s borders, Buhari called on neighbouring countries wishing to engage in legitimate cross-border businesses to always be fair and equitable in their dealings.
He said: ”With the recent opening of our borders, we expect that the pent-up demand of legitimate cross-border and international trade will boost the fortunes of the many small businesses and agricultural enterprises that depend on Nigeria’s trade and commerce.
”The message to our West African neighbours is that Nigeria is once again fully open for those willing to conduct business in a fair and equitable way.” (NAN)
