President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday assured members of the Northern Governors’ Forum (NGF) that he would not let the nation down on security in the country.
A statement by the President’s Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, said the governors led by the outgoing Chairman of the forum, Gov. Kashim Shettima of Borno met with the President at the State House, Abuja.
Buhari said: ”The security of the country is on my mind 24 hours of the day.
”I get daily and weekly situation reports. I have listened to your brief. I will look into your recommendations. I am acutely aware of the situation, but I have learnt more today.”
The President bemoaned the ravaging effect of unchecked corruption in the past on the country’s Armed Forces, saying ”the terrible effects of mismanagement were prevalent, and these are the consequences.
”If you follow the efforts we are making within the system, you will see that we have curbed much of the corruption that is there.
“See the recoveries that we have made – money, landed property. We are not going as fast as we want under the system, but we will keep trying to improve it.”
The President promised to increase the frequency of his meetings with security chiefs and keep updating himself.
Buhari also expressed interest in getting reports from governors who have difficult relationships with security heads in their states.
In their presentations, the governors drew the President’s attention to specific challenges they each faced in their respective States.
They commended the Federal Government’s efforts in curbing Boko Haram terrorism and farmers/herders clashes, which they said had been dealt with.
While noting that normalcy had virtually returned to the North-East, the governors, however, warned that armed banditry was posing a dangerous threat and needed to be tackled with equal swiftness.(NAN)
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