Work as team to secure Nigerians, Tinubu charges new service chiefs

* Yerima insists on dialogue to end banditry

President Bola Tinubu, yesterday, charged the nation’s new security chiefs to work as a team to secure the country from vice and other forms of societal misdemeanour.

Tinubu gave the charge during his first meeting with National Security Adviser (NSA) Nuhu Ribadu, new service chiefs and Acting Inspector General of Police (IGP), at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

The meeting was the first of its kind since Tinubu approved appointment of the new set of security managers on June 19, 2023.
Those in attendance were: Chief of Defence Staff, Major General Christopher Musa; Chief of Army Staff, Major General Taoreed Lagbaja; Chief of Naval Staff, Rear Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla; Chief of Air Staff, Air Vice Marshal Hassan Abubakar; Chief of Defence Intelligence (CDI), Maj. Gen. Emmanuel Undiandeye and Acting IGP, Kayode Egbetokun.

Addressing newsmen shortly after, Ribadu said: “He (Tinubu) gave us the assurance that he’s with us a hundred per cent. He told us we must work as a team and that there’s work to be done. He will expect us to deliver and we are grateful for the opportunity.

“We are going to work tirelessly to ensure we accomplish that objective of securing our country, establishing peace, stability and getting our lives back.”

The NSA added: “Things are improving in our country. If you see, the record of crimes and activities of criminals are going down. It will continue to go down. We’ll secure this place. Nigerians have seen the quality of people that are given opportunity. They are probably some of the best we have, and they are not going to fail you. They will certainly deliver.”

Meanwhile, former governor of Zamfara State, Sani Yerima, hailed Tinubu’s courage for the announcement which officially removed fuel subsidy on the day of his inauguration.

He said if Tinubu had delayed, it would have been a tougher decision for him.
Yerima bared his mind shortly after he met with the President at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

The former governor, who spoke with newsmen after a closed door meeting with the President, described Tinubu as courageous and ready to deliver on his mandate.

He expressed confidence that when palliatives being initiated by the government become effective, market forces of demand and supply would naturally force down price.

He also blamed banditry and insecurity in the country on poverty and ignorance, saying no sane person would take up arms and kill an innocent person.
According to Yerima, the President should toe the path of the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua by talking with the bandits.