President Bola Tinubu shared on Friday that the government is considering the deployment of forest guards, equipped with enhanced training, modern technology, and sophisticated weaponry to strengthen security across the country.
Addressing a significant concern, the President highlighted divisiveness as a major challenge and assigned the governing All Progressives Congress (APC) the responsibility of promoting healing and unity. He stressed the importance of forging a collective national vision and directing resources towards the process of nation-building.
In his address, Tinubu implored governors from the APC to craft and enact policies that prioritize the well-being of all Nigerians. He underscored the need for governors to consistently prioritize the national interest over political affiliations.
The President, while meeting with members of the Progressive Governors Forum (PGF) in Abuja, stressed the significance of development policies being characterized by inclusivity, ownership, and sustainability to be truly relevant in people’s lives.
According to the statement issued by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Chief Ajuri Ngelale, Tinubu told the governors that one of the biggest challenges the nation faces is divisiveness, but that the governing party must work towards healing and unifying the country by ensuring a collective national vision and channelling energy and resources into nation-building.
He said, ‘You can convert people. You can appeal to people to come to your side.’
The President said Nigeria is too blessed with human, natural, and material resources to be struggling with a dearth of quality infrastructure, quality education, and world-class health facilities.
He said the entire financial system of the country would be re-engineered for inclusivity, effectiveness, and efficiency.
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‘We have no reason to be poor. Looking back on where we are coming from, where we have been, and why we are facing infrastructural decay, a lack of quality and comprehensive education, as well as a lack of health facilities, We are not a cursed country, but blessed,’ the president said.
President Tinubu asked the governors to come up with a framework that will make the implementation of the school-feeding programme more comprehensive and successful across all states of the federation, taking into consideration the peculiarities of each locality, but working towards having all children in school.
‘We have children of school age who are out of school. The way to promote education is to get all governors, including the opposition governors, involved in the school-feeding programme. Please, take it seriously.’
‘We should not measure the children as statistics. We should measure their return to classrooms as our achievement. We should see economic growth in terms of value and empowerment. We should set up a committee to look into the methods. I am ready to invest in school feeding,’ the president said.
The President highlighted that the school-feeding program aims to boost investments in agriculture, especially in livestock farming and dairy. He mentioned that Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje, the former Kano State Governor and APC Chairman, has developed a proposal for input and implementation.
In recognition of the achievement, President Tinubu congratulated Borno State Governor, Prof. Babagana Umara Zulum, for the successful restoration of irrigation systems, enabling year-long cultivation of crops.
The President discussed security matters, mentioning the ongoing consideration of deploying forest guards with better training and modern technological gadgets and weapons. He also underscored the intention to secure the solid mineral and marine economic sectors with special police.
‘We have a big marine economy, and I do not see why we should not have the marine police. We will have the same in solid minerals to keep the scavengers away. I am ready to invest in security. We will buy our own minerals and keep them in reserves, especially gold, which will be effective in our foreign exchange reserve,’ the president told the governors.
Governor Hope Uzodinma, in his capacity as Chairman of the Progressive Governors Forum and Imo State Governor, expressed gratitude to the President for involving governors in policy design and implementation, and for providing financial support to the states.
‘We will continue to support you as your able ambassadors, willing ambassadors, and capable ambassadors,’ Governor Uzodinma said.