President Muhammadu Buhari has assured governors of northern states that he would not let the nation down on security in the country.
The governors were in Aso rock to brief Buhari what had been achieved and what needs to be done to keep insecurity away from the north.
The governors drew the president’s attention to specific challenges they each faced in their respective states.
They commended the federal government’s efforts in curbing Boko Haram terrorism and farmers/herders clashes, which they said had been dealt with.
The governors noted that normalcy had virtually returned to the northeast, but warned that armed banditry was posing a dangerous threat and needed to be tackled with equal swiftness.
Senior Special Assistant on media to the President, Garba Shehu said Buhari made the comment when the northern governors led by Governor Kashim Shettima of Borno State met with him on Monday.
A statement by Shehu said the governors met with the President at the State House, Abuja.
The statement read: “The security of the country is on my mind 24 hours of the day.
“I get daily and weekly situation reports. I have listened to your brief. I will look into your recommendations. I am acutely aware of the situation, but I have learnt more today.”
Buhari recalled the ravaging effect of unchecked corruption in the past on the country’s Armed Forces, saying “the terrible effects of mismanagement were prevalent, and these are the consequences.”
“If you follow the efforts we are making within the system, you will see that we have curbed much of the corruption that is there.
“See the recoveries that we have made – money, landed property. We are not going as fast as we want under the system, but we will keep trying to improve it.”
The president promised to increase the frequency of his meetings with security chiefs and keep updating himself.
Buhari also expressed interest in getting reports from governors who have difficult relationships with security heads in their states.