June 12: Buhari Regrets Insecurity In Nigeria

• Says Criminals Taking Advantage Of COVID- 19 Restrictions • Assures Country Will Emerge Stronger Despite Odds

PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari, yesterday, decried the rising incidence of insurgency, banditry and other forms of criminality across the country, expressing the commitment of his administration to put an end to the menace.

Buhari, who regretted the troubling development in the land, however, attributed the recent sporadic incidents, with tragic loss of lives in Katsina and Borno states, to criminals who are taking advantage of COVID- 19 restrictions and vowed to do everything to ensure that security agencies pursue the perpetrators and bring them to swift justice.

In his broadcast speech on the occasion of the country’s democracy day celebration, also known as June 12, the President, however, disclosed that all the local government areas that were hitherto taken over and controlled by the Boko Haram insurgents in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa state have long been recovered and are now occupied by indigenes of the areas who were forced to seek a living in areas far from their ancestral homes, adding that the total collapse of the economies of these areas, which constituted a threat to country’s food security, has also been reversed with the gradual recovery of farming and other economic activities.

He implored state and local governments to revamp their intelligence assets, so that the security agencies can nip any planned attacks in remote rural areas in the bud.

Buhari said government has already expanded the National Command and Control Centre to 19 states of the federation, resuscitated the National Public Security Communication System and commencedtheimplementation of the Community Policing Strategy as part of the strengthening of the internal security architecture.

Notwithstanding the untoward incidents, he said his administration would remain unshaken in the resolve to protect national infrastructure, including onshore and offshore oil installations, as well as secure the country’s territorial waters and end piracy in the Gulf of Guinea.

He said it was in the bid to reduce security challenges through the country’s external borders, especially smuggling of oil products out of the country, inflow of small arms and drugs into the country and equally protect local manufacturers that his administration introduced operation “Ex- Swift Response,” closing the country’s borders from August 20, last year, which has improved the national revenue. Continuing, the Buhari said his government has continued to work to reduce social and economic inequality through targeted social investment programmes, education, technology and improved information, adding: “Our Social Investment Programme has continued to be a model to other nations and has engaged 549,500 N- Power beneficiaries, 408,682 beneficiaries of the Conditional Cash Transfer Programme and 2,238,334 beneficiaries of the Growth Enhancement and Empowerment Programme, in collaboration with the states.

“Similarly, Marketmoni and Tradermoni programmes have provided affordable loans to small and micro- scale enterprises to grow their businesses. Under the National HomeGrown School Feeding Programme, over 9,963,729 children are being fed to keep them in school and improve their nutritional status.”

The President noted that this year has been like none other, particularly with COVID- 19 declared a global pandemic by the World Health Organisation ( WHO) in January, noting: “This pandemic has affected the global economy and all known socioeconomic systems.

“It has also brought grief and pain to families that have lost their loved ones. Like many Nigerians, I feel the grief and pain, not only as your President, butalsoassomeone who has lost a close member of my staff and some relatives and friends.”

He said it was in order to have a robust national response that his government approved a Presidential Task Force ( PTF) on COVID- 19 to provide guidance and leadership in tackling the pandemic nationwide, stating: “Complementing this was the establishment of a National Emergency Operations Centre responsible for providing technical and professional guidance in the National Response.”

He said the overall objective of the PTF is to ensure the pandemic does not overwhelm the government areas in the country’s health systems, country will be allotted 1,000 while ensuring that it mainslots. I am pleased to report tains an effective case managethatthisprogrammehascomment system to help in conmenced. taining the spread of the virus, “I receive regular briefing adding: “The impact of the panfrom the PTF on COVID- 19. I demic has disrupted our econote that the national nomic system and to ensure its response relies on science, functioningwhilestilladdressdata and experience in taking ing the spread, the federal govdecisions. This informed my ernmentputinplaceanumber approval for the ease of lockof various non- pharmaceutidown phase to ensure a balcal measures to slow down the ance between lives and livelispread of the virus, in addition hoods. to a progressive re- opening of “I am confident that the steps the economy. being taken by the PTF would “As part of the strategy to creresult in flattening the COVIDate jobs in reducing the effect 19 curve. I, therefore, implore of COVID- 19 on our youths, I all Nigerians to abide by the directed the employment of approved guidelines and pro774, 000 Nigerians. These tocols. There is hope for us all youths will be engaged in if we take individual and colSpecial Public Works lective responsibility. Programme aimed at cushioning the effects of economic downturn. Each of the 774 local

Read the remaining part of this story on www. guardian. ng