President Muhammadu Buhari
By Johnbosco Agbakwuru
PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari on Friday reiterated his commitment to end terrorism and insurgency in the country.
President Muhammadu Buhari
President Buhari at the graduation ceremony of the National Defence College (NDC) Course 27, in Abuja, also promised to resolve all associated national security and humanitarian challenges in the country.
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He said in spite of the commendable progress made by the armed forces in combating terrorism and insurgency, the nation was still beset with some existential and fundamental challenges.
The President said that Boko Haram has lost its insurgency campaign, adding that the Islamic terrorist group was now factionalised and mutated into a new form of terrorist threat.
According to him, “Armed banditry and vandalism, kidnapping, pastoralist/farmers conflicts, cultism and political violence have become the new threats.
“Other crimes such as proliferation of Small Arms and Light Weapons, drug trafficking, drug and substance abuse and communal conflict, all add up to the security mix.
“Furthermore, the state of education, the youth bulge, unemployment, socio-political and ethno-religious divisions, fake news and hate speeches all help to quicken and compound the security challenges.
“Our government is poised to promote national security and development; we remain committed to promoting a vision of a secure, safe, just, peaceful, prosperous and strong nation.
“Indeed, we shall be employing all elements of our national and human resources to ensure security, a just society, peaceful co-existence, national unity, prosperity and sustainable development, while promoting our good standing abroad.”
President Buhari noted that Nigeria was at a critical crossroad at inception of his administration in 2015, as the Boko Haram insurgency was at the height of its infamy and virtually held Nigeria hostage.
The situation, he said, constituted a clear and present danger to the corporate existence of Nigeria as a nation.
He, however, said that a lot of progress had been made in tackling the security challenges, with the combined efforts of Nigeria’s regional coalition partners, the military and other security agencies.
Buhari commended the college for keeping to its mandate and the efforts to re-organise and rebrand the centre to enable it conduct research on contemporary issues of security and development.
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He also pledged his commitment to continuous support for the centre in order to make it a regional hub of strategic defence policy study.
He charged the participants of the Course 27 to see themselves as sufficiently groomed, in both character and learning, to take up the national challenges.
He said that it was a clarion call to duty in service to their country.
“In the coming years, all of you Nigerians and allied graduands will be called to account for the period of strategic training in the College and you must not fail your nations,’’ he said.
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