• Friday, March 29, 2024
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BusinessDay

Again, Buhari vows to bring ‘criminals’ threatening Nigeria justice

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President Muhammadu Buhari has for the umpteenth time, vowed that his administration would bring to book, all criminal elements taking up arms against the country and its citizens.

Buhari had few weeks ago threatened that those promoting crime and insurrection in the country would be treated in the “language they understand and they will soon receive the shock of their lives.”

The president who reiterated the warning while declaring open the maiden edition of the Progressives Youths Conference in Abuja on Monday, assured that no effort would be spared in tackling every form of insecurity confronting Nigeria.

Represented by the secretary to the government of the federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha, Buhari insisted that all the policies, initiatives, projects and even appointments by the present administration are guided by equity and inclusiveness.

“As you are all aware, we are currently dealing with some internal security challenges and I will like to reassure you that as the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, no effort will be spared in tackling them”, he said.

While commending the APC youth wing for organising the event, Buhari urged them not to “despair, nor relent in the joint task of nation-building. “Remember we have no other country but Nigeria. It is the responsibility of every one of us to work towards the development and advancement of this country.”

Also speaking, Yobe State governor and APC caretaker committee chairman, Mai-Mala Buni, said the future of the ruling party and that of the entire country lies with the youths, hence they cannot be relegated to the background.

Buni urged the youths to work towards the unity and progress of Nigeria and warned them against joining the “retrogresisive elements” that are bent on destabilising the peace and security of the country.

“We cannot afford to discard the youth in the affairs of the party. We must invest in the youth for a better future for the party and country. Therefore, this conference and theme are both strategic and timely for a prosperous future for the party and our beloved country.

“As the most energetic segment of the population, retrogressive elements with evil interests in causing confusion, creating and fanning hate and disunity will always rely on you to achieve such negative and unpatriotic tendencies and to destroy your future. You must resist them. You should never allow yourselves to be used as tools in the hands of these treacherous elements”, he said.

Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, said for APC to survive in Nigeria, there must be a deliberate and effective system of leadership recruitment to identify and prepare people, especially the youth, to occupy the important offices of party and government.

“We need to identify people from the professional ranks and the private sector, from here at home and in the diaspora. We need to bring them into the fold and prepare them to become effective champions of progressivism in the country and in government.

In his remarks, the APC national youth leader, Ismaeel Ahmed, said the conference was organised based on the need to galvanise the progressive movement in the country and called for more inclusion of youths in the party affairs and governance.

Ahmed urged the youths to translate their numerical strength into votes for the APC in the 2023 general election.