Improving Security Remains Our Priority – Buhari
President Muhammadu Buhari on Saturday said improving security, the economy and fighting corruption are still the core priorities of his administration, six years after the triad of promises first won him the presidential election.
The President made the remark in Kaduna at the Passing Out Parade for Cadets of 68 Regular Course (Army, Navy and Airforce).
“As you are all aware, our beloved nation Nigeria is facing many security challenges at this period. We continue to face security threats and violent crimes such as insurgency, banditry, kidnapping and politically motivated killings which threaten our national integration,” he said, according to a statement signed by his spokesperson, Garba Shehu.
“I assure you that this administration will continue to do everything within the ambit of the law to eliminate all forms of violent crimes that are creating fear and anxiety among the citizenry.
“It is pertinent to state in this regard that, we have received new equipment in our fight against any form of insecurity from our friendly countries.
“These assets will be deployed to accelerate the fight against insecurity in all parts of the country.”
President Buhari noted that security had assumed priority in governance and public policy in international scheme of affairs.
“It is against this backdrop that we introduced a new Landing Ship Tank early this year to replace the first set of naval ship tanks which were decommissioned by the Nigerian Navy,” he said.
“The introduction of the Landing Ship Tank is expected to bolster the Navy’s Sealift capability and promote our global maritime commerce, peace and safety within the Gulf of Guinea and our maritime neighbourhood.”
The President said the administration was poised to eliminate the incentives for corruption by addressing some of the remote causes as part of a long-term strategy for a more effective and sustained war on the practice.
He said improvement of livelihoods of citizens had been going on in partnership with relevant organized private sector.
According to him, some of the interventions by government are: “A smart law enforcement; provision of improved access to education that prepares our youths for global competitiveness; provision of quality health services for improved life expectancy and decent and affordable housing, among others.
“It is the conviction of this administration that ineffective policies for social provisioning must be redressed in our efforts to tackle the fundamental causes of corruption in our society. This is how best to give vent to the much-cherished values of fairness, equity and justice to the people of this nation.
“I must also emphasize here that, for us to achieve a peaceful, prosperous and democratic country that will attract foreign investors we must be law abiding, committed and promoters of peaceful co-existence. This is a collective responsibility which will definitely yield the Nigeria of our dreams.”
President Buhari commended the Commandant of the NDA, Maj. Gen. Ibrahim Manu Yusuf, for the infrastructural upgrade in the military institution, and the colourful parade by the cadets of 68 regular course.
“It gladdens my heart to see the level of infrastructural development in the Academy. It is a clear testament to the vision, dedication and excellence in the best tradition of NDA,” he said.
“Nigerians acknowledge that the Academy has consistently justified its existence over the years by turning out well trained and disciplined officers for the Armed Forces of Nigeria as well as militaries of allied nations.
“The NDA has over the years trained and graduated military and paramilitary personnel as well as interested civilians seeking postgraduate education. It is therefore not surprising that the Academy has earned a reputation as an outstanding military Academy in Africa. Let me therefore extend my sincere felicitation to the Commandant, staff and gentlemen cadets of the Academy on this memorable occasion.”
The President, who was the Reviewing Officer, told Graduating Officer Cadets, that the world they were entering was very different from that which confronted many of their predecessors.
“The contemporary security environment has been described as violent, uncertain, complex and ambiguous.
“You can therefore expect that the missions that you will be tasked to undertake will be similarly complex. Beyond these significant rationales, I am convinced that we have a real stake, and an abiding self-interest, in making sure our children and our grandchildren grow up in a world where school children are not kidnapped and where individuals are not slaughtered because of their tribe, faith or political beliefs.”