Former Senate President Bukola Saraki has urged Nigeria’s next government to revisit all reports of various security summits and other such recommendations then harmonise them to quickly end the security crisis across the country.
Saraki said this in a statement signed by Yusuph Olaniyonu, his spokesman, in commemoration of this year’s Armed Forces Remembrance Day.
He also commended the courage and patriotism of the members of the various security agencies who have continued to fight against enemies of the country within and outside while also seeking better motivation for them and their families while they are in service and after retirement.
The statement reads in part, “Throughout Nigeria today, we commemorate the courage and sacrifice of our veterans — men and women from all across the country who have sacrificed their lives, their time, and blood and sweat for the nation.
“As we remember our armed forces who have and continue to sacrifice, we must also remember to pay our respects to the families of our veterans and servicemen and thank them assiduously for their service.
“We already have enough recommendations from the various summits, dialogues, and special sessions on security organized by the executive, legislature, non-governmental organisations, and development partners. All a new government should do is harness the recommendations and demonstrate the strong will, determination, and urgency in translating them into operation.”
Saraki emphasised that there must be transparency and accountability while disbursing funds devoted to the security of the nation.
He said, “There must also be transparency, accountability, and openness in the application of funds devoted to security across the board. We must also prioritize new strategies that will put technology at the forefront of our security arrangement. We must be able to adopt modern-day strategies that will help in intelligence gathering; plugging the financial loopholes that these terrorists and bandits exploit, and stop playing lip service to the issue of security.
“Moving forward, as we prioritize the security of Nigerian lives as a whole, we must also emphasize the morale and wellbeing of our veterans and our current servicemen and women. The Nigerian government must show those who wish to serve and defend its sovereignty, that it is also willing to make their lives better during and after active duty.
“There has been a consistent demand for a thorough review of the national security architecture to ensure that it is better equipped to meet the demands of our current challenges.”
