Boosting national security our top priority – Buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday said significant
improvements in national security remained the topmost
priority of his administration as other socio-economic
initiatives cannot be successfully implemented without
adequate security in the country.
He spoke during an audience with Britain’s Chief of Defence
Staff, Gen. Sir Nicholas Houghton, at the Presidential Villa,
Abuja.
Buhari, in a statement issued by the Special Adviser on
Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, also reaffirmed his
administration’s determination to end the Boko Haram
insurgency as quickly as possible.
He said: “For a country to be efficiently administered, it must
first be well secured because other social and economic
initiatives cannot thrive in an atmosphere of insecurity.
“An environment has to be secured before it can be
rehabilitated. Nigeria currently has about 1.5 million
internally displaced persons and they need to be returned to
their homes and brought out of trauma.
“Their schools, hospitals, churches, mosques, farms and
livelihoods have been destroyed by insurgents. If they are
not catered for, the country may lose their loyalty.
“When Boko Haram is pushed out and the environment
secured, normal life will be restored. That is what we are
determined to do. Other things like farming, economic
activities and social life will then return. Nigerians are quite
enterprising,”
The President said Nigeria appreciated Britain’s support for
the retraining of its Armed Forces and asked for more
assistance in other areas such as logistics, equipment and
intelligence.
He also called for more international support for regional
efforts to improve security in the Gulf of Guinea through
which crude oil stolen from Nigeria is shipped.
In his remarks, Gen. Houghton said the Buhari Presidency
was a huge opportunity for Nigeria to make progress.
The UK Defence chief said he was very impressed with the
progress Nigeria has made in the war against terrorism
under President Buhari and assured the President that
Britain will continue to support the Federal Government’s
efforts to end the Boko Haram insurgency