Despite the rising insecurity and killings in the country, President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday slapped the service chiefs on the wrist, saying their efforts were not good enough.
The President, also at a closed-door meeting with the service chiefs at the Presidential Villa, warned them against poor performance, and asked them to justify their appointments, since he appointed them based on their past records, Vanguard reports.
Buhari spoke on a day the military claimed it had the capacity to deal with the nation’s insecurity problem, and that it was not overwhelmed by the problem.
He also called for synergy among the heads of different security agencies in order to tackle the myriads of security issues bedevilling the country.
President Buhari expressed his frustrations with the security situation in the country when he met with the Heads of security agencies at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The President’s outburst came on the heels of calls by different segments of the country, including the National Assembly, that the service chiefs be relieved of their positions to allow fresh hands to tackle the degenerating security situation in the country.
Recall that incessant attacks by bandits, kidnappers and terrorists in some states of the north, had compelled a group, under the umbrella of Coalition of Northern Group, CNG, to stage a protest in Katsina State, the home state of the President, within the week and even called for his resignation and that of the state governor, Aminu Masari.
Briefing State House correspondents after the security meeting presided over by the President, the National Security Adviser, NSA, Major Gen. Babagana Monguno, retd, said the President expressed dismay over the security situation in Nigeria.
He said: “A meeting was just concluded between Mr President and heads of the security agencies, that is the operational heads consisting of Minister of Defence, the service chiefs and on the other hand, the intelligence components consisting of myself and the intelligence heads. “Today’s (yesterday) meeting basically focused on recent developments.
Mr President has expressed great concern over the declining security situation in the country.
“He is extremely unhappy about what is happening and he feels that, even though the security agencies are doing their best, their best is not good enough for him and wants and immediate reversal of the current trend and immediate reversal of our misfortunes in all their dimensions.
“Mr President also told us in clear terms that he and indeed the administration campaigned to power on the platform of three issues, fighting insecurity, overcoming our economic difficulties and dealing with the scourge of corruption.
“More so, he noted that it takes common sense for anyone to understand that without security, the pursuit of the other two will just be an exercise in futility.
“He, therefore, warns the security agencies to take into consideration the wider implication of the gradual descent of the security of this country, he is not going to accept any further escalation of the security situation.
“He also stated, that no one was forced on him, he selected everyone individually based on what he felt their records had revealed and therefore, it is up to the individual organisation to live up to expectations.
“Again, Mr President has also said that it is extremely important that we in the security agencies, must ensure that we justify the leadership by not disappointing the populace.”
The NSA, who was flanked by the Inspector General of Police, IGP Mohammed Adamu, the Director-General of Department of State Service, DSS, Mr Yusuf Bichi and the Chief of Defence Intelligence, CDI Mohammed Usman, said that he raised the issue of unregistered SIM cards at the meeting.
