President Muhammadu Buhari Thursday in Abuja sought to appease millions of citizens who are disenchanted with his perceived poor handling of security crisis plaguing the country, saying he could not in good conscience shirk his responsibility to secure lives.
The president, in his personal Christmas message to Nigerians in commemoration of the birth of the Saviour, Jesus Christ, said provision of security for all residents in Nigeria remained his article of faith.
According to him, security remains “a vital segment of this administration’s three-point agenda right from inception, and we must follow through with it.”
Buhari who said he’s always distressed when the youth, particularly school pupils become victims of insecurity, added that such situations make him feel the similar emotional torture and agony that parents and guardians go through.
He appealed to citizens to cooperate with the military and other security agencies in the battle against insecurity by volunteering intelligence on activities of criminals with a view to putting paid to the menace of insecurity.
According to Buhari, security crises bedeviling the country are complex, pledging however, to embark on what he described as complex, dimensional route to tackling insecurity.
He said Nigerians reserved the right to live in an atmosphere of peace, which he described as a recipe for economic growth.
“For me, providing security for all residents in the country remains an article of faith. It formed a vital segment of this administration’s three-point agenda right from inception, and we must follow through with it.
“I cannot in good conscience shirk this cardinal responsibility to secure lives and property. I feel pained each time a breach of peace and security occurs in any part of the nation. I am even more distressed when our youths, especially school children, are the targets and victims of mindless and malevolent elements in the society. As a parent, I share the emotional torture and agony parents and guardians go through whenever their children and wards fall into the cruel hands of these enemies of decency and good society.
“I plead with fellow compatriots to give our military and other security agencies more time, cooperation and support by volunteering credible intelligence/information on activities of armed bandits, insurgents and other criminal elements within their communities in order to put an end to this blight on our security landscape.
“To be sure, the problems are beyond the simplistic options being bandied around. We shall remain focused on following the complex, multi-dimensional route to reducing the incidents of insecurity to the barest minimum. Our people must be free to live and move without let or hindrance. This is crucial not only to enthroning an atmosphere of calm and social cohesion, but for the economy to grow.
“Let us use this season of goodwill and joy to renew our faith in the ability of this administration to make a lasting difference in the lives of our hard-working people. Our social intervention measures and other economic policies are already yielding positive results even at modest rates,” he said.
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