President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday ordered service chiefs to do more than they are currently doing to tackle insecurity in the country, adding that their best was not good enough.
The president also warned that henceforth, excuses would no longer be tolerated, saying he expected everyone to live up to expectations going forward.
This was disclosed by Babagana Monguno, national security adviser (NSA), while addressing State House Correspondents at the end of the president’s meeting with the service chiefs.
Monguno said Buhari also ordered him to meet with governors of the North-West states, including that of Niger State, in order to know what the problems were and find solution.
He said the president also raised concerns over issues of unregistered SIM cards.
“Another area which raises concern is the use of unregistered SIM cards. In my own brief, I dwelt on that issue and I raised concern that whatever we intend to achieve, we will not be able to get to the promised land unless we wrestle this issue of unrestrained acquisition of unregistered SIM cards,” Monguno said.
“Mr. President has directed that I, as the national security adviser, link up with the minister of communications and digital economy to work out a blueprint to ensure the end of the irresponsible use of any SIM card. Of course, I urged my colleagues, the Inspector General of Police and director general of Department of State Services, to help in this issue.
“Again, my office is going to call on certain governors starting with the governors of the North-West zone including the governor of Niger State, to come over into Abuja, so that I meet with them and my colleagues in intelligence and security.”
The meeting held inside the Presidential Villa, Abuja, where Buhari was briefed on how the increasing security challenges across the country were being tackled.
The NSA, while blaming lack of synergy within the security sector for the challenges, said “this has to be addressed” adding that there was need to “address this issue and form a single front”.
“We must have a central platform to coordinate all the efforts, all operations and security,” he said.
President Buhari had met with heads of the security agencies, consisting minister of defence, the service chiefs and heads of all the intelligence agencies.
Monguno disclosed that the president “expressed great concern over the declining security situation in the country”.
“He is extremely unhappy about what is happening and he feels that, even though the security agencies are doing their best, their best is not good enough for him and wants an immediate reversal of the current trend and immediate reversal of our misfortunes in all their dimensions,” he said.
“Mr. President also told us clearly that he and indeed the administration campaigned for power on the platform of three issues, fighting insecurity, overcoming our economic difficulties and dealing with the scourge of corruption. More so, he noted that it takes common sense for anyone to understand that without security, the pursuit of the other two will just be an exercise in futility,” Monguno said. “He, therefore, warns the security agencies to take into consideration the wider implication of the gradual decent of the security of this country, he is not going to accept any further escalation of the security situation.”
