President Buhari has today charges the newly promoted service chiefs to step up the tempo of fighting criminality to protect the lives and properties of Nigeria. The president made this comment while decorating the new service chiefs at the State House, Abuja, urging them that they have limited time to perform. Contained in a statement signed by the president Special Adviser on Media and publicity, Femi Adesina, Buhari stated that during the four-hour of the security meeting on Tuesday, reiterated to the service chiefs that being the commander in chief, he has given them directive to go out there and do everything possible to secure the country.
The President said, “You have got a few weeks to do that because by the rainy season, we expect people to develop confidence and go back to the land, so that we don’t get into trouble by being away from the field and therefore unable to produce enough food for the nation.”
He urged the service chiefs to see their appointments as confidence placed by the government on them and therefore should see it as a challenge.
He reiterated that “For those (of you) that have been confirmed by this ceremony, the decoration, in front of your spouses, is a further confidence loudly expressed on you on behalf of the nation, to respond to the insecurity the country is in, and the nation looks up to you for rapid relief.”
Buhari assured the new service chiefs of his support in whatever form possible they may require in their line of duty.
He reaffirmed to them that, “I have accepted responsibility for your actions in the field; it’s up to you to identify your competent officers irrespective of seniority and paper qualification and deploy them to make sure that we secure this country.
“We all look forward to you to perform and I as the Commander-in- Chief, I am backing you hundred per cent, and I expect you to effectively deploy your officers and men to secure the country,” the President said.
Thanking the president on behalf of other service chiefs, the chief of Defence Staff, Lucky Irabor assured the president of their commitment to the country as the directive was loud and clear, he said.
Irabor said, “Nigeria will have peace again. Based on the mandate, we will address all issues, working with all other security organisations,”
Other decorated officers were; Lieutenant General Ibrahim Attahiru as Chief of Army Staff, Vice Admiral Awwal Gambo as Chief of Naval Staff and Air Marshal Isiaka Amao as Chief of Air Staff.