President Buhari: It’s true that army should do better on insecurity

President Muhammadu Buhari, on Monday, said he agrees with those who hold the opinion that the nation’s Army should do better in handling the security challenges in parts of the country.

This is just as the President jokingly said the All Progressives Congress, as the ruling party, could have used security agencies to overrun states that it lost to opposition parties in the last elections, if not that “we just wanted to show that we are humane and we are Nigerians.”

Buhari spoke while addressing state governors from the North-Eastern part of the country who met with him at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

He said although he gets information on insecurity from intelligence sources, he has decided to align with the “general report” that says the Army should do better.

The President, who insisted that his administration is doing its best, noted that some states in the zone had reasons to commend the military because they are now experiencing peace.

He regretted that lack of resources had hit his regime hard, making reference to the COVID-19 pandemic which he described as a “fantastic phenomenon.”

Buhari assured the governors that he was committed to the security of the country because ensuring security is part of the fundamental responsibilities of government.

The President said, “We have problems of resources and security. You know what we inherited. The people of the North East will appreciate what this administration has done.

“The general report I am getting, other from the conventional ones from the intelligence sources, is that the Army should do better and this is the truth.

“It is so often coming to me that I have to believe it. I listened to your representation, the governor who is on the hotspot now in the North East. Adamawa, Bauchi and the rest of them are enjoying peace. I hope they are respecting the sacrifice made by the military.

“I assure you that the government is doing its best. Lack of resources has hit us very hard. COVID-19 is a phenomenon. It has no respect for colour, you can’t smell it, you can’t see it, you can’t hear it. America and us are the same. It is a fantastic phenomenon. I think we should all go back to God.

“I assure you North-East governors, especially the governor of Borno, that we go to bed and wake up thinking about you and how to secure our country. That is the fundamental responsibility of a government; security. In our party, we recognise this. We campaigned on three fundamental issues: security, economy, and fighting corruption.

“Nigerians, we thank God, understood us and they voted for us. In 2019, we went round the whole country, saying the same thing and apologising for not doing better, but we are doing our best. I think Nigerians believe us and we did our best.”