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President Bola Tinubu on Thursday gave marching orders to the nation’s new security chiefs, saying that their topmost priority must be to end the security crisis facing the country. The President, who said the time for entertaining excuses was over, directed them to immediately ramp up counter-insurgency operations and decimate emerging armed groups. Tinubu gave the orders at the decoration ceremony of the security chiefs held inside the State House, Abuja. He said that although the military had recorded impressive gains over the years, he wanted them to be more aggressive in ending the security challenges. The President said, “The emergence of new armed groups in the North-Central, North-West, and parts of the South is of grave concern. “We must not allow these new threats to fester. We must be decisive and proactive. Let us smash the new snakes right in the head.” According to him, no meaningful development can take place in the midst of insecurity, stressing that protecting citizens remains the government’s core function. “Security is an essential element without which everything else is rendered meaningless,” he told the new chiefs, noting that economic growth would remain stagnant in the absence of peace. Tinubu paid tribute to the military for the sacrifices made in preserving the country’s territorial integrity, adding that many officers and men had paid the supreme price in battles to safeguard Nigeria. While acknowledging these efforts, the President, however, said the evolving security landscape required the new security heads to think beyond traditional frameworks and apply ideas that placed them ahead of the enemies, including the deployment of technology. “We cannot allow the crisis that began in 2009 to persist any longer… Nigerians expect results, not excuses,” he told them. The President assured the military of the government’s support at all times, saying that their welfare and equipment needs would be promptly addressed. With the decoration, the service chiefs now have new ranks – Chief of Defence Staff, General Olufemi Oluyede; Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Wahidi Shaibu; Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Idi Abbas; and Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke. The Chief of Defence Intelligence, Major General Emmanuel Akomaye Parker Undiendeye, was also elevated to the rank of Lieutenant General. Meanwhile, Oluyede promised that the military would work hard to eradicate criminality nationwide. He gave the assurance that under his leadership, the military would deploy all necessary capabilities to deliver a safer environment for socio-economic activities to thrive. He stated, “We will do our utmost to rid Nigeria of all forms of criminality and make the country safer for socio-economic endeavours to flourish.” ALSO READ TOP STORIES FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE
