Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
President Muhamamdu Buhari on Wednesday launched the National Security Strategy 2019, reiterating his administration’s commitment to improve on education, health and security in his second term.
The plan was launched at the Council Chambers of the Presidential Villa witnessed by the Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, Deputy Senate President Ovie Omo-Agege, who represented the Senate President, Speaker of the House Femi Gbajabiamila, service chiefs and other heads of security agencies.
He said the numerous security challenges confronting the country made it necessary to come up with a comprehensive and coordinated response that involves all segments of society and all elements of national power.
Buhari expressed happiness that the National Security Strategy 2019 is a product of painstaking and rigorous deliberations by relevant stakeholders committed to the task of safeguarding Nigeria from internal and external threats.
According to him the Strategy represents “a thoughtful, strategic and practical expression of our resolve to make Nigeria safe for development, investment, growth and prosperity for everybody.
“As we continue to work towards completely ending insurgency in the North East and laying the foundation of sustainable peace and development in the region, we are also addressing conflicts between farmers and herders, banditry and various forms of security challenges. In addition to security, economic diversification and fighting corruption, our administration’s priorities for the second term include pursuing improvements in education, healthcare and agriculture.
“These priorities reflect our commitment to enhancing the social security of Nigerians as a means of improving their physical security.
“I’m happy to observe that the National Security Strategy reflects this thinking with emphasis on overall human security. I’m pleased also to know that the strategy emerged after a long term consultative and participatory process that elicited contributions primarily from our security, intelligence, law enforcement agencies and the armed forces. Other stakeholders such as ministries, department and agencies and the civil society were also contributory to this strategy.
“As such, this strategy will inform government wide and society wide measures designed to promote the public safety and the national security.”
The President described security as as a bottom to top operation, where failure at any level will lead to serious lapses in overall security.
He called on all stakeholders from heads of ministries, departments and agencies to see themselves as partners in the onerous task of securing “our people and to demonstrate unity of purpose in implementing this strategy.”
The President commended the National Security Adviser, Maj. Gen. Baba Gana Mungonu, and his team for delivering on the document.
“The task that now lies before us is the execution of the strategy and the achievement of a safer and more secure nation. It is a task to which this administration remains fully and unreservedly committed,” he said.
Prior to the launch, Monguno gave highlights of the new strategy, an update of the first one five years earlier in 2014.
“The focus of today’s strategy is multi-dimensional and it is to guarantee the safety of human lives,” he stated.
“The approach is comprehensive and looks at how agencies will collaborate to guarantee security for our country.”