From Molly Kilete, Abuja
The newly appointed Minister of Defence, Mohammed Badaru, has vowed to end the insecurity ravaging the country in the shortest possible time. He said President Bola Tinubu, administration was bent on ending insecurity and making the country safe for all to go about their legitimate duties without fears of being attacked by criminals.
He has therefore called for the support of the service chiefs to brainstorm on the way forward.
He specifically urged them to map out a definite time to phase out terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, farmer-herder conflict, oil theft, secessionist agitation, cultism, and other emerging violent crimes across the country.
Badaru made this known when he assumed office alongside his minister of state Bello Matawale, at the Ministry of Defence, Abuja.
The minister while assuring to ensure that the Armed Forces of Nigeria work in collaboration with the various security agencies in the country to rid the country of criminals, promised to organize a monthly security meeting to be attended by the armed forces, security agencies and their respective ministers as part of his plans to curb the menace.
Addressing the officials and service chiefs at the ministry, Badaru, said: “The president is a goal setter, an achiever, and a thinker. The president is a macro manager, and he would be on our necks to deliver on security, and I will do the same.
He said “As time goes on, I will engage you as individuals and groups. As we all know, without security, there would be no investment, and without investment, there would be no economic growth. Even though our food security is threatened, farmers can not farm in their farms because of insecurity in the land. The president is ready to give us all the support to do this. From now on, I will ask the service chiefs to give me a timeline and requirements on how we will begin to solve this problem of insecurity.”
“The president will be monitoring us on these timelines and the targets and he doesn’t have the patience to work with lazy people. So, all our jobs are at stake, we must therefore deliver for the country.”
“We have the resolve and promise that within a year or so, we would have a remarkable change in the security sector.”
Continuing, Badaru said: “We are lucky that we the ministers and the service chiefs were appointed by the president so we have no reason to fail him, so I want to thank all that are here and assure them that we’ll do our best. We’ll do our best to make sure we rid of the security challenges. We owe it a duty to the President and the nation”.
Also speaking, the minister of state, said they have resolved to adopt a comprehensive and multi-faceted approach to effectively tackle the prevailing security issues.
He said “Our armed forces must be modernized and strengthened through investments in advanced weaponry, intelligence gathering capabilities, surveillance systems, and cyber defence infrastructure. We will work closely with international partners to acquire cutting-edge technology and expertise that will enhance our defence capabilities.
“We will work closely with international partners to acquire cutting-edge technology and expertise that will enhance our defence capabilities. At the same time, we recognize that military might alone can not guarantee lasting security and stability. We must address the root causes of conflicts, promote social cohesion, and foster economic development. By investing in education, healthcare, job creation, and infrastructure development, we can create an environment where extremism finds no fertile ground to thrive. We will collaborate with relevant ministries and agencies to implement programs that address the socio-economic disparities that often fuel conflicts,” he stated.
In his address, the Chief of Defence Staff(CDS), General Christopher Musa, while assuring the ministers of the support and willingness of armed forces to succeed in their task, said: “This is our country and we have no other one. It is our responsibility that we ensure the restoration of peace, tranquillity, and security in Nigeria.
“We are happy you are going to make a lot of things happen. We assure you of our support and we would be transparent.”
Also speaking, the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Defence Dr Abubakar Kana, while congratulating the ministers on their appointment, said they were carefully selected by President Tinubu, given their experiences as governors of state where they battled with problems of insecurity. He assured them of the support of staff of the ministry to achieve their missions.