Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja

President Muhammadu Buhari has said successes of his administration since 2015 with regards to improved security are clear, “despite the politicisation.”

The President, speaking Tuesday while receiving promoters of the proposed African Security Leadership Summit at State House, Abuja, insisted that “the records show where we were in terms of security in 2015, where we are now, and we also know where we want to be.”

Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, quoted Buhari as saying the successes of the administration since 2015 are clear, “and what remains in areas of security are also clear, despite the politicisation.”

He lauded the plan to convene a high-powered security summit that will bring together some of the leaders on the African continent, defence attaches, embassies and high commissions, leadership of the defence community in the country, and many others.

Speaking directly to the chairman of the security summit initiative, His Royal Highness, Major-General Abdullahi Bagudu Mamman, (retd), President Buhari said:

“I am glad that you are well experienced, and know the implications of this high-powered conference. It will be a great test for you and members of your committee. You will be dealing with professionals in security, defence and diplomacy. We will do our best to support you.”

Mamman, now a traditional ruler, led a team under the auspices of Global Initiative for Leadership Success (GILS), which is organizing the security summit.

He said: “We share in the conviction of the administration to address the problems of the country. At assumption of office in 2015, parts of the country had been acquired by Boko Haram insurgents. Your seriousness and committed efforts have made us to now be able to worship in peace. Boko Haram has been truly degraded, and other forms of criminalities are being addressed.”

The monarch added that the summit, to hold possibly in October, is being convoked “to involve the entire security architecture in Nigeria, and it will be under the theme, ‘Sustaining the Security Renaissance of Nigeria.’”

The event will feature honours and awards for those who have excelled in the area of security, “because we need to reward the commitment of our heroes.”

An endowment fund will also be launched to cater for the families of those who have lost their lives in the course of security enforcement, and to care for those permanently maimed.