Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, the national security adviser, yesterday reassured President Bola Tinubu and the entire nation that security agencies will succeed in securing the nation and re-establishing peace and stability.
Ribadu was reacting to the President’s admonition that they should work together to fulfill the mandate of addressing the nation’s ongoing security concerns.
His accusation was made in light of the insurgency, banditry, kidnapping, and other violent crimes that have endangered the nation’s ability to conduct business.
After the President’s first meeting with the security chiefs at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, the NSA, Mallam Ribadu, briefed State House reporters, saying: “The President urged them to operate as a team and deliver on their mandate.
We’re here to thank Mr. President for the chance he provided us to serve our country and his own government, he replied when asked about the meeting’s conclusion. We swore allegiance to him, to Nigeria, and to Nigerians.
“We believe the choice he made is the right one, the correct one, and we know what he wants for this country.
‘’We’re going to work tirelessly to ensure we accomplish that objective of securing our country, establishing peace, stability and let’s get our lives back.
‘Work as a team and deliver’
“He gave us the assurance that he’s with us one hundred per cent. He told us we must work as a team and that there’s work to be done, he’ll expect us to deliver and we’re grateful for the opportunity. That’s why we are here.”
When asked where the new security heads would start, Ribadu responded, “Where we are today and you can see already, things are improving in our country.
“If you see the record of crimes and activities of criminals going down, it will continue to go down. We’ll secure this place.
“Nigerians have seen the quality of the people that are given opportunity, they are probably some of the best we have and they are not going to fail you, they’ll certainly deliver. Thank you very much.”
The Chief of Defence Staff, Major-General Christopher Musa, the Chief of the Army Staff, Major-General Taoreed Lagbaja, the Chief of the Naval Staff, Rear-Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla, the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Vice Marshal Hassan Abubakar, and the Acting IGP, Kayode Egbetokun, were also present in addition to the NSA.
Recall that Tinubu cautioned the immediate past service chiefs against working against one another if the fight against insecurity was to be successful.
In order to avoid repeating past mistakes when there was inter-agency rivalry, which allowed rebels, bandits, and kidnappers the space to grow and jeopardize the country’s corporate existence, he had emphasized that the security chiefs must cooperate.
