Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had his first meeting with the country’s heads of security agencies at the Presidential Villa Abuja with a stern order to ruthlessly deal with oil thieves.
He also warned that his administration would not condone a situation where security agencies work at cross purposes.
Fielding questions from State House correspondents at the end of the meeting, National Security Adviser (NSA) Major-General Babagana Monguno (retd) said the President made it clear that he would not accept a situation in which the nation’s fortunes keep declining.
“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 said.
President Tinubu was also quoted as mandating the security agencies to come up with a blueprint, stressing that he doesn’t have the luxury of time.
“The president commander-in-chief of the armed forces has just concluded a meeting of the general security appraisal committee consisting of the Chief of Staff, Service Chiefs, Inspector General of Police, and heads of the intelligence agencies.
“This is the very first meeting he’s had with the heads of the security agencies. The meeting lasted two hours. Having been briefed by the participants of the meeting, Mr. President addressed prevailing issues confronting the nation in terms of insecurity and also mentioned his own philosophy towards dealing with national security issues.
“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, 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’s 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 or whatever it takes, 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 tolerate. 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 it’s concerned; it doesn’t have the luxury of time. And whatever changes will be made have to be done as soon as possible.
“The President also has decided that whatever measures 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 you 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 that they require carrying out the assignment.”
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