The House of Representatives has called on the office of the National Security Adviser to put more effort into ensuring a secure Nigeria especially before, during and after the forthcoming elections while the President Buhari has insisted that he will hand over a safe Nigeria to Nigeria’s next President in 2023.
This is as the NSA assured the lawmakers that President Muhammadu Buhari is determined to bequeath a safer country to his successor.
Both perspectives came up at a budget defence meeting between the Committee on National Security and Intelligence and the NSA.
Insecurity remains a critical talking point in Nigeria.
In the last few weeks, countries including the United States of America and the United Kingdom have issued directories to their citizens on the security risk in parts of Nigeria, especially the federal capital territory.
Only recently, Ghana joined the fray, advising its citizens to be wary of Abuja.
This is in spite of the remarkable progress that has been made in the past months in taming the excesses of the bandits that have held the nation captive.
The NSA appears before the lawmakers to defend the expenditures of his office in the current year and the projections for 2023.
Committee Chairman acknowledges the enormous work security agencies are doing to secure the nation.
But with flashpoints and the attendant effects on the innocent citizens, it is clear more needs to be done
The NSA says the successes the country has been recording in the past months are rooted in the efforts of the Department of State Services, National Intelligence Agency and Defence Intelligence Agency.
He is convinced the next President will inherit a safe Nigeria and seeks the support of all citizens
The NSA laments the total budget of the Intelligence community was reduced from N212.76 billion in 2022 to N195.01 billion in 2023
The meeting continued behind closed doors as journalists were excused.
President Muhammadu Buhari has repeatedly insisted that he will hand over a safer Nigeria to his successor in 2023.
