President Muhammadu Buhari has said his administration has done its best in the fight against Boko Haram insurgency in the North-East and militancy in the South-South.
While not thumping his chest in celebration of victory, Buhari wants Nigerians to reckon where we are as against the situation on the ground when he came into office in 2015.
The President, who had on assumption office vowed to flush out the insurgents within few months, however was gracious enough to acknowledge that security agencies “could do much better” in curbing security situation in the North-East and North-Central.
Speaking to reporters after attending a Sallah service in Abuja, Buhari wished Nigerians the best of luck.
He said, “We want security, prosperity, and the well-being of all Nigerians.
“I want Nigerians to be very conscious of their country. What we inherited when we came around in 2016 was Boko Haram in the North East and the militants in the South-South. Nigerians know that we have done our best.
“What is coming up in North West and North Central is disturbing indeed. But I believe the military and the police and other law enforcement agencies, I think they could do much better, but we are keeping them on the alert to do their duties.”
Buhari’s comment however appears to belie the fact that the spate of insecurity spread in past five years to engulf the entire country.
By 2015, the key security challenge was Boko Haram insurgency which was restricted largely to North-East, but currently threats in form of kidnappings, killings by herdsmen, banditry in the North-West have become pervasive.
Just a few days ago, gunmen believed to members of terror group attacked convoy of Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum on his way to Baga, a town 196 km from Maiduguri, which runs against the claims by military that the area had been cleared off insurgents.
The security situation in Southern Kaduna has deteriorated forcing the state government to order a curfew amid rising cases of banditry and kidnapping across the country’s North-West leading to a call by the opposition – the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), for the resignation of the President to resign since he has failed in his constitutional duty of securing lives and properties in the country.
The upper legislative chamber in the country -the Senate, also follwed in the same trajectory with a call on the President to sack the nation’s security chiefs, as they have lost ideas on how to tackle mountingsecuirtychallenges.
Buhari also spoke on the recent corruption allegations arising from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the Niger Delta Development Commission, saying that some officials of his administration had abused the trust reposed on the them.
“There has been an abuse of trust by people trusted by the previous administration and this administration,” the President said when asked about how he felt about the recent developments.
“A number of assets have been recovered and some money; but we have introduced TSA, Treasury Single Account, where all the money are taken.
“I said assets should be sold and the money put into TSA so the money can be identified at any level. And I will see who will come after us and take it back again to those who misappropriate public funds.”
Buhari was speaking against the background of messy revelations of fraud and fraudulent dealings in the EFCC and the NNDC. Former EFCC boss, Ibrahim Magu was suspended in July and is facing corruption charges before a presidential panel, the House of Representatives isprobing financial malfeasance at the NDDC, which has thrown up a lot of mind-boggling revelations.
