- Seeks elite’s appreciation of nation’s problem
By Deji Elumoye
President Muhammadu Buhari has stressed the readiness of his administration to vehemently resist the threat by bandits to disrupt food production in the coming growing season.
This is just as he also sought the cooperation of the elite in understanding the myriad of problems facing the nation.
Speaking to newsmen Thursday after observing the Eid prayer at the State House, Abuja, the president pledged that his administration will use all available resources and manpower in dealing with bandits to ensure that they did not impede access to farms and food production in the coming growing season.
He emphatically assured Nigerians that the menace of bandits and kidnappers will be addressed to ensure that the nation’s food security is not threatened.
The president, who hoped for a good rainy season this year, said: “The law enforcement agencies are working hard to regain confidence against bandits, so that we can go back to the land. This is very important. This is what the agencies are busy doing right now. We want people to go back to the land so that we can get enough food for the country and even to export.”
Commenting on ongoing efforts by his administration to tackle the security situation in the country, President Buhari drew attention to the series of long meetings held in recent weeks, chaired by him, saying part of resolutions reached at the meetings had been made public by the National Security Adviser and the others kept secret.
According to him, “With the resources and manpower available to us, we are working very hard. We are hoping Nigerians will understand the problem. Nigerians know at what stage we came in in 2015, what state we are today both on security and the economy and we are doing our best.”
The president commended the National Assembly for its support, saying emphatically that: “The National Assembly is cooperating very well. Within the resources available, they are certainly giving us priority on our (military) requests.”
President Buhari then made an appeal to the nation’s elite to show a better appreciation of the problems facing the country.
“The elite should make the attempt to understand the military. If we order for weapons and armoured vehicles, it takes time for the manufacturers. It takes time to ship them and when brought here eventually, they are taken to training institutions, train the trainers before sending them to the field. This is a very long process,” the president explained.
He appealed to Nigerians for more understanding of the current situation in country, saying: “I expect Nigerians to be more understanding on the issues involved, looking at time and available resources.
“For example, when we came in, in the North-east, ask people in Adamawa and Borno States and the South-south in terms of security. Without security, you can’t do anything. Our big surprise and disappointment is what is happening in the North-west and we are dealing with it.”
