Buhari announces plans to rejig police, armed forces

President Buhari meets security chiefs:Photo Sunday Aghaeze

President Buhari and his security chiefs:Photo Sunday Aghaeze

President Buhari and his security chiefs:Photo Sunday Aghaeze

By Bayo Onanuga

President Muhammadu Buhari, admitting the challenge of insecurity in the country on Friday spoke about his plans to rejig the Nigerian security architecture, to make it more proactive.

He did not give a timeframe to accomplish this.

He said his administration will “Re-energize and reorganize” the security apparatus and personnel of the armed forces and the police with a view to enhance their capacity to engage, push back and dismantle the operations of both internal and external extremist and criminal groups waging war against our communities in some parts of the country.

His plans fall short of the people’s expectations, as most critics want him to dispense with the services of the current heads of the security agencies and reset the nation’s security.

Buhari acknowledged the critics, but urged them to reflect on the state of security before he came into office 29 May 2015.

“I am aware that for some of our compatriots, the progress we have registered since the inception of this administration is not nearly as fast or as sufficient as they would wish. I do not begrudge them their views in so far as they signify a wish, in which we all share, for only the very best for our country.

“Nevertheless, I call upon all Nigerians to carefully recall the circumstances of our coming to office, the facts on the ground and the resources at our disposal since 2015 with the accomplishments of this administration.”

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For now, he said he is sticking with his views as expressed 18 December in an interview with NTA.

“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”.

Buhari also noted that the persistence of various forms of violence has meant that in the most affected parts of the country, the fabric of inter-communal harmony woven through years of investment of effort at building trust, mutual respect, and harmony has been threatened.

‘Insecurity as a challenge has direct repercussions on our national economic stability, growth, and development, setting us back at critical points through the destruction of public and private investments.

“In parts of the country where chronic poverty, social exclusion, and disillusionment among sections of the youth were already a problem, the cycles of violence that have been unleashed by mindless groups like Boko Haram and others have thwarted the efforts of government to undertake the social policy and associated investments that could make a huge difference in the quality of life of our citizens.

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