Tinubu Set to Rejig Security, Says Agencies Working at Cross-purposes Won’t Be Tolerated 

·     Mandates outfits to come up with blueprint on pressing issues

·     Asks military to coordinate, redouble efforts 

Deji Elumoye in Abuja

Less than a week after assuming office, President Bola Tinubu, yesterday, met with the Chief of Defence Staff, service chiefs, Inspector General of Police, and heads of intelligence agencies, with a pledge to rejig Nigeria’s current security architecture.

Speaking with newsmen after the two-hour closed-door meeting at the State House, Abuja, National Security Adviser (NSA), Major General Babagana Monguno (rtd), said the president called for coordinated efforts among the military, but warned that working at cross-purposes would not be tolerated in the fight against insecurity.

The NSA added that Tinubu, while charging military officers and men to redouble their efforts, also mandated all security agencies to quickly come up with a master plan towards eradicating security challenges facing the country.

Monguno disclosed that the president at the maiden meeting of the General Security Appraisal Committee (GSAC), consisting of the Chief of Defence Staff, service chiefs, Inspector General of Police, and heads of the intelligence agencies, addressed prevailing issues confronting the country in terms of insecurity “and also mentioned his own philosophy towards dealing with national security issues.” 

Monguno stated regarding the meeting with Tinubu, “First and foremost, he appreciated the armed forces and intelligence agencies and the wider paramilitary agencies for the work they have been doing in the past couple of years. Their sacrifice, their loyalty, and he also paid tribute to those who died in defending this country, from the great big menace of terrorism, insurgency, banditry, oil theft, sea robbery, piracy, etc.

“The president has made it very, very clear that he’s determined to build on whatever gains have been made and to reverse misfortunes and turn the tide in our favour. As far as he’s concerned, this country should not be on its knees struggling while other countries are walking and achieving greater heights. 

“The president has revealed that in moving this country forward, he needs the security agencies to redouble their efforts. And he has also pointed out that his own philosophy is one of contemporary security measures dealing with the requirements of the time.

“He has made it very clear that he will not accept a situation in which our fortunes keep declining. And his own trajectory is that national security has to be coordinated; there has to be wherever, whatever it says, whether it is a basket system, but there must be a clearing house. 

“All agencies must work to achieve one single purpose. Working at cross-purposes and colliding with each other is not something that he will condone. He has made it very, very clear that all the security agencies must comply with the demands of coordination, with the demands of frequent consultations and also timely reports, which must be acted on.

“He is going to embark on a lot of reforms in terms of our security architecture, he is going to take a closer look at our misfortunes in the maritime domain, focusing particularly on the issues of oil theft. That is not going to be tolerated. Wherever the problem is coming from, it must be crushed as soon as possible.

“He has already mandated the security agencies to come up with a blueprint as far as he knows, as far as he’s concerned, he doesn’t have the luxury of time. And whatever changes will be made have to be done as soon as possible. 

“The president has also decided that whatever ventures the armed forces are going to be engaged in, they must carry along those operatives in the theatre. They must be well fed, well kitted, motivated and given all that they require. 

“President has said clearly that he will do whatever is within his powers to enable the operational elements, but the intelligence agencies must also make their work easy for them by providing the type of intelligence they require to carry out the assignment.”