From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
President Muhammadu Buhari has described the country’s security problem as protracted but assured that his administration is administration is doing everything necessary to halt the menace.
He said this yesterdays when he met with the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) led by the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar.
He explained that his administration had continued to provide the military with the needed equipment, even as he called on citizens to provide timely intelligence to the security agencies.
“Security is a protracted challenge. But we are not relenting in our efforts. We are equipping the military. We encourage localities to enhance their intelligence gathering and timely remitting to the security agencies.
“We are diversifying the economy to reduce poverty, we are combating corruption. We will continue to promote religious freedom as a constitutional responsibility. If the country must work, we must continue to work together in spite of ethnic and religious differences. It is my solemn decision to be fair to all in the society.”
Sultan Abubakar commended the president for the successes achieved so far in the North East, calling on the government to deal decisively with the banditry that is raving the Northwestern States of Zamfara, Katsina, Sokoto and some parts of the North Central.
While expressing confidence that security forces, with better synergy among them, will overcome present challenges, he solicited for the cooperation of all the governors with the federal government irrespective of their political leanings, calling on Nigerians to support the new leadership of the armed forces.
The Sultan also appealed to Nigerians, particularly religious leaders to refrain from making inflammatory comments that tend towards sowing discord in the polity and exacerbating the current level of insecurity in the land. He asked that religious leaders making subversive comments should be called to order.