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…Says Economy Has Been Delivered From Bankruptcy
ABUJA – President Bola Tinubu has condemned in strong terms the recent attack on innocent citizens in Naridon village in Kamaru ward, Kauru Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
While describing the attack where about 30 residents of Naridon village were killed as barbaric and cowardly, Tinubu said he has deployed security personnel, comprising the police and military to hunt down the perpetrators and bring them to justice.
Recall that while some sort of relief regarding incessant kidnapping was coming to Nigerians, innocent citizens in the early hours of Monday, numbering about 30, including women and children, were killed, just as their houses were burnt down.
The president, in a statement by his media aide, Bayo Onanuga, described the assault as an unprovoked act of terror against defenceless people.
He insisted that those who seek to destabilise the hardfought peace and security, which Kaduna State has enjoyed in recent times, will not go unpunished.
He went on to extend his heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families, as well as to Governor Uba Sani, the government, and the entire good people of Kaduna State.
According to him, the state government and affected communities should be rest assured that the Federal Government stands firmly with them in this hour of grief and remains resolute in tackling security challenges nationwide.
“I have directed the Armed Forces, police, and relevant intelligence agencies to intensify operations across the affected areas to track down the perpetrators swiftly and restore normalcy to the region.
“Our administration has an unwavering commitment, “ President Tinubu reiterates, “to strengthening security infrastructure, equipping response personnel, and neutralising criminal networks attempting to disrupt the peace of the nation.”
“I urge our local communities to cooperate with security forces by providing actionable intelligence that would help early response efforts,” Tinubu stated.
Meanwhile, Daily Independent research indicated that Kaduna State has been in the news for persistent security challenges involving armed bandits and terrorist violence dating back to the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.
Since President Bola Tinubu assumed the presidency on May 29, 2023, the state has been marked by major mass abductions, tragic military miscalculations, and rural community massacres.
In May 2023, within days of the presidential inauguration, armed bandits killed local residents and abducted families in rural districts of Kaduna. While at Tundun Biri an erroneous Nigerian military drone strike targeting armed groups mistakenly hit a religious gathering celebrating Maulud in the Tundun Biri community (Igabi Local Government Area), resulting in the deaths of 85 civilians and injuring many others.
On March 7, 2024, at Kuriga School, heavily armed bandits raided the Government Secondary School and Local Government Primary School in Kuriga, Chikun Local Government Area, abducting 287 students and staff members before the government secured their release following negotiations.
Economy Has Been Delivered From Bankruptcy, Says Tinubu
Meanwhile, President Bola Tinubu has said he has been able to steer the country on sound economic footing, such that the fear of going bankrupt and the dark tunnel of uncertainty that was the case when he assumed the presidency was no longer an issue for concern.
Speaking on his efforts at tackling insecurity, Tinubu assured that the ongoing restructuring of operations and institutions will deliver victory over terrorism, banditry and kidnappings across the country.
He made the comment while receiving the leadership of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN), led by its President, Most Rev. Matthew Ndagoso, at the State House, Abuja. He emphasised that Nigeria’s security architecture is being repositioned for greater efficiency.
Most Rev. Ndagoso, Archbishop of Kaduna, attended the meeting with 19 CBCN leaders. Tinubu stated that the security challenges are being confronted through enhanced intelligence gathering, restructuring and repositioning of security institutions, improved logistical support, and prioritisation of frontline personnel welfare. He called on the CBCN and all religious leaders to actively condemn violent attacks, guide their members, and support government efforts to end insurgency.
“We don’t have another country but here – this Nigeria. And I will refer to the national anthem that in our complexity and diversity, we shall thrive, live, rejoice and be good to all, and humanity.
“I have just approved the expansion of the armed forces. We are getting more equipment, building new barracks. We will defeat terrorism. It should be part of your sermons. I won’t deviate from our national anthem,’’ the president added.
On poverty alleviation, President Tinubu affirmed that the government will sustain interventions that directly improve the livelihoods of families and citizens, such as the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND).
“I have listened to you carefully, and most importantly, your key areas are security and education. I can tell you categorically with sincerity that the country has been placed on a sound footing. The economy has recovered.
The alarm for bankruptcy and dark tunnel of uncertainty that we had when I came in has been changed. “The spirit of the people is lifting, and the economic turmoil that we feared is cleared. The economy has been delivered from bankruptcy.
“I always say, because of my background and profession, that I inherited the assets and liabilities of my predecessor. I have been running with it. This government has stabilised, and there is prosperity on the horizon. Life is improving,’’ he stated.
The president urged citizens to explore available opportunities for engagement provided by the government and private institutions and embrace education, entrepreneurship and skills acquisition.
“We have no control over the population growth and trajectory. That is why you have membership in your various faiths, churches, to give hope to people and give commitment to humanity in the true sense of it. Our founding fathers did their best.
They left us a nation, and we owe it to generations yet unborn to sustain it,’’ the president added. Tinubu said unity, stability and prosperity of the country must be held sacrosanct by all stakeholders.
“To educate our children, I can say your children because you are revered fathers. You can’t say a four-year course in the university is not four years now.
ASUU is not on strike. They are not bringing agony to our homes. Is that not an answer to our prayers? For me, that’s answered prayer,’’ President Tinubu noted. The president said the outlook on the country must remain positive.
On preparations for the general elections, the president said INEC had been neutral. “The opportunities are equal. INEC is neutral. They have never intimidated anyone. If political opponents are crying wolf, maybe they are afraid of their own shadows and uncertainty in the companies they keep, not me.”
The president told the leaders of the CBCN that state governors, following the constitution, have the authority to decide the return of mission schools.
“I returned all mission schools when I was the governor of Lagos State, and Cardinal Okogie, one of my best friends, is alive to testify to that,’’ he stated.
President Tinubu affirmed that more universities had been approved to meet the growing demand for higher education, and the statistics by the NUC will help in the budgeting of NELFUND.
“I believe in what you believe; we should embrace education to get out of poverty,’’ he said.
In his remarks, the President of the CBCN appreciated the president for the warm reception extended to the Holy See’s Secretary for Relations with States and International Organisations, Archbishop Paul Gallagher, on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of relations between Nigeria and the Vatican.
Ndagoso outlined areas of concern in the country, which include security, quality tertiary education and limited spaces, sustaining gains of democracy, credible elections and poverty.
The President of CBCN also urged President Tinubu to consider the return of mission schools and fair treatment for all worshipers, including the provision of worship places in all parts of the country, without bias.
The Archbishop of Kaduna called for free and fair elections in 2027.
“As a man who risked so much in the struggle for the return of democratic rule in the dark days of the military dictatorship, your greatest legacy would be the strengthening of our democratic institutions,” the Archbishop said.
