Security: President Buhari Leaving Nigeria Far Better Than He Met It- Presidency
The Presidency has maintained that President Muhammadu Buhari will leave the country much better, as it relates to security, than what he met on ground when he assumed office in 2015.
It also defended President Buhari on his alleged lopsided appointments of security heads during his administration, stressing that appointment of service chiefs and heads of security agencies cannot be subjected to ethnic balancing or federal character.
Many citizens have condemned the security architecture under President Buhari’s administration claiming that more deaths have been recorded, however, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr Femi Adesina, who appeared on Channels Television programme on Monday night, asserted that the President improved on what he met on ground.
He said: “Do you also know of the report which says in the past 12 years, that 2022 was the year that recorded the least number of deaths in terms of insurgency and insecurity. We know in this country, the figure has been coming down over the years.
“No life, ideally, should be lost. One life lost is too many. When reports tell you that between 2015 and 2021 so so number of lives were lost and in 2022 the lowest figure came up, it calls for something positive, you don’t ignore it.
“Buhari is leaving the country far better and I said it from the beginning in 2015 we knew where Nigeria was, 17 local governments in this country were under the control of insurgents. NYSC could not do orientation; they were not sending people to those places. Is this what is happening today? No.
“The Emirs are back in their palaces, local government chairmen are back in their offices, NYSC orientation is happening in those States, youth corpers have been posted to those states. Are you now telling me that there has not been improvement? No. Let’s be factual, let’s give the government some credit please.”
Addressing the alleged lopsided appointment of security heads, Mr Adesina asserted that it is based on the President’s prerogative on who’s competent and can do the job of securing Nigeria against crime and its vices.
“Don’t subject security to ethnic balancing, don’t subject security to federal character. In fact, the constitution that prescribes federal character even gives the President some prerogatives that he can appoint on his own.
“Security is something you don’t subject to politics. Security is you bring your best foot forward.
“Look at the echelon of security agencies still 2015, would you honestly say they have all been from one part of the country? Who was the chief of naval staff in the first term of this administration? Was it not a man from Cross River State? Who was the Inspector General of Police at that time? Was it not a man from Edo State? Solomon Arase.
“Security is something you do based on the best. The best and the brightest because all you want is for your country to be secured. The President usually said unless you have secured the country or even an organisation, you cannot efficiently manage it.
“So, you get the best that can help you secure the country. People who begin to subject the headship of security agencies to where it comes from don’t know what they are talking about.”
