President Muhammadu Buhari has called on Nigerians to refrain from statements and actions that could jeopardize the unity and development of the country.
In a statement issued by the Presidency on Wednesday, Buhari highlighted the importance of national unity which he said was costly.
The president made the remarks at the inauguration of a memorial to the veterans and a N10 million fund for the Veterans Association.
The President emphasized that Nigeria’s strength depends on its diversity and commended the men and women of the Nigerian Army who are working to ensure security in the fight against Boko Haram and pirate militants in various parts of the country.
He also paid tribute to the fallen soldiers who he said had sacrificed their lives during World War I and the civil war as well as international peacekeeping operations.
“Nigeria has been plagued by security problems since independence,” Buhari said.
He added that security threats had affected trade, investment, the economy, education, health and agriculture as well as continued to deprive Nigerians of their freedom.
In his remarks, President Buhari said there had been successes in some areas of the north-west and north-central parts of the country that have been plagued by bandits attacks.
He said there have been many successes in domestic security operations in the North West and North Central regions, in addition to the deployment of the force.
“As a result, normalcy has returned to the affected areas, and the hunt for the perpetrators continues,” Buhari said. Buhari also said his government would continue to forge alliances with neighboring countries. its commitment to ending the security crisis that has plagued their region.
The president also promised that modern weapons will be provided to the country’s armed forces while taking care of issues related to improving their capabilities and pledging to create an environment to avoid any security threats.
Addressing security issues is one of the major promises made by President Buhari to Nigerians during his 2015 election campaign.
But despite authorities claiming victory in the fight against Boko Haram in the northeast and cracking down on armed robbers and kidnappers for ransom, attacks continue in the area.
