The Conference of Civil Society for Peace, Security and National Development has said combating insecurity and corruption is a daunting challenge that requires absolute commitment on the part of leaders and the lead to achieve.
Consequently, the CSOs urged all Nigerians of good will to rally round President Muhammadu Buhari who has shown uncommon commitment to addressing insecurity and corruption to enable him succeed for the good of all citizens.
The CSOs comprising of over 100 groups at a solidarity rally held in Abuja on Friday said it behoves on them as civil society organisations to stand firm in ensuring a better society hence their coming together in solidarity with the Federal Government on its effort to fighting insecurity and corruption which they say are the catalysts for development.
Conveners of the group, Comr. Mike Msuaan and Mallam Adamu Kabir Matazu amongst others who spoke at the rally explained that keeping mute at a time when there are many schools of thoughts on the security and anti-corruption situation in the country will amount to disservice to the civil society movement and Nigeria in general.
The group carrying various placards with inscriptions such as “Nigeria Military Needs the Support of all to Defeat Insurgency”, Buhari is Hero of Security and Anti-corruption”, “Fighting Insurgency and Corruption is not Automatic” amongst many others argued that the nation under Buhari was doing relatively well on security and anti-corruption.
“We have observed with dismay the avalanche of criticisms on the Buhari administration on the handling of security and anti-corruption in particular. However, our scrupulous findings have shown that many who have chosen to lampoon the presidency and the security chiefs are either doing so based on ignorance or mischief. Our checks also show that those who understand the intrigues of fighting insecurity and corruption make an objective assessment of the situation commending the security agencies and the anti-corruption agencies for their efforts.
“We herein reiterate that Nigeria is doing relatively well in the areas of security and anti-corruption. We were all witnesses to days when territories were held captive by terrorist groups. Bomb blasts were regular occurrences across the nation particularly in the northern region and the Federal Capital territory. However, all these have been brought to a halt or barest minimum. But, some particular individuals and groups have chosen to engage professional propagandists to rundown the efforts of the nation’s security agencies. Our findings have further revealed that some sections of the media have allowed themselves to be used by these groups for monetary gains”, the CSOs alleged.
They further regretted that most people who want President Muhammadu Buhari to sack the current service chiefs who have done so much based their arguments on career progression rather than national interest.
According to the CSOs asking for change of the service chiefs who have shown deep competence would amount to sacrificing the sovereignty of the nation for personal gains of a few individuals.
“We wish to charge every appointee of government related to security to put aside personal sentiments and work patriotically for the common good of the nation. We herein appeal to President Muhammadu Buhari who himself is a professional soldier to begin to talk to his services chiefs directly rather than allowing other appointees who may not understand his briefings properly or be mislead by other interests and pass negative messages that may dampen the moral of the service chiefs and their troops”.
