4 July 2023

President Bola Tinubu on Monday told the  new National Security Adviser (NSA) Nuhu Ribadu and the new service chiefs in their first meeting  at Aso Villa since their appointment on June 19, 2023 that there so much work to be done.

To succeed in the security tasks, President Tinubu advised the security chiefs to work as a team and make a solid resolution to deliver on their mandates.

President Tinubu, who held a serious discussion with the service chiefs, assured them of his support at all times.

The NSA also affirmed that the President assured the service chiefs of his unwavering support during the meeting.

“He assured us that he’s with us 100 per cent. He told us that we must work as a team; that there’s work to be done, and he expects us to deliver and we’re grateful for the opportunity. That’s why we are here.”

Ribadu, who said the service chiefs, on their part, pledged their loyalty to the President and Nigerians, also underlined their commitment to work tirelessly to secure the country.

Ribadu said, “We are here to thank Mr President for the opportunity he gave us to serve our country and to serve his own government. We also pledged our loyalty to him, to Nigeria and Nigerians.

“We believe that the choice he made is the right one, the correct one, and we know what he wants for this country. We are going to work tirelessly to ensure that we accomplish that objective of securing our country, establishing peace, stability and let’s get our lives back.”

The NSA, who is a former Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), said although the task ahead is a big one, it would be done.

“Where we are today, and you can see already, things are improving in our country. If you see, the record of crimes and activities of criminals are going down, it will continue to go down. We’ll secure this place,” he said.

“Nigerians have seen the quality of the people that are given the opportunity, they are probably some of the best we have and they are not going to fail you, they’ll certainly deliver.”

Before the president came on board, the country had been battling with the insurgency by the Boko Haram sect, kidnapping for ransom, killings by unknown gunmen and other forms of crime and violence across the country.

At the meeting with the president were the Chief of Defence Staff Maj.-Gen. Christopher Musa, Chief of Army Staff Maj.-Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja, Chief of Naval Staff Rear Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla, Chief of Air Staff Air Vice Marshal Hassan Abubakar, Chief of Defence Intelligence Maj.-Gen. Emmanuel Undiandeye, and the Acting Inspector General of Police Kayode Egbetokun.

Former Zamfara State Governor Sani Yerima, who also visited the president separately, said he discussed with him the option of dialogue with bandits terrorising the North. the nation/punch