INSECURITY: I will not resign - President Buhari vows

 President Muhammadu Buhari has reacted to calls by Northern Elders Forum (NEF) to resign due to insecurity in Nigeria.

His spokesman, Garba Shehu, said the president does not wish to be drawn into the high-decibel show in the media.

“Publicity is the oxygen for politicians who have failed to connect with voters in a democracy”, a statement Wednesday night reads.

Shehu said the resignation call “is not a solution to the security problems facing the country”, noting that it built up to a worrisome level following decades of neglect.

The aide told citizens to know what their government is doing to deal with the situation “and for politicians to come to terms with the fact the it is beneficial to all that they help to preserve the state so that when it is their turn, they will have a place that they will manage”.

“People don’t have to destroy what is there in a desperate quest to get power”, the presidency said.

In response to the attacks in Kaduna and Niger States, Shehu informed the public that security agencies have realigned and reorganized ongoing operations there and in Niger Delta.

He said structures are being reinforced with land-based assets to increase the efficiency of the troops and intelligence is equally being reinforced.

“The air defence system is being reinforced with newly-acquired jets and drones which assemblage and training for operators have been hastened to meet the current exigencies.

“The country is equally getting assurances of early delivery of equipment on order from manufacturers and the effort is ongoing to conclude other major procurements still in process.

“Only this morning, the government at a meeting of the cabinet approved the procurement of the largest ever single procurement of military vehicles.

“Similar major operations are going in the South-East and the South-South where the economic life wire of the nation and electricity transmission lines are currently being secured from saboteurs.”

The presidency accused “sponsored saboteurs” of aiming to show that the government cannot provide power by sabotaging equipment at switches and other vital points.

“They will not succeed. The public knows who is who, and who has done what in our country’s governance”, the statement added.