Tuesday, June 02, 2015

Buhari Meets Security Chiefs Today, Stays Out of Aso Rock
Tuesday, 02 June 2015 04:02
Nigerian Daily Trust
Written by Nuruddeen M. Abdallah

President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday met with National Security Adviser Sambo Dasuki and he will meet with the security chiefs today.

The meeting with Dasuki, which lasted for hours, was part of what sources called “debriefing process” and was done behind closed doors.

Buhari’s senior special assistant on media and publicity Malam Garba Shehu told Daily Trust last night that the president would meet the Chief of Defence Staff, Alex Badeh; Chief of Army Staff, Kenneth Minimah; Chief of Air Staff, Adesola Amosu; Chief of Naval Staff, Usman Jibrin as well as Inspector General of Police, Solomon Arase. Buhari met with Dasuki at the Defence House yesterday.

Daily Trust gathered that the service chiefs would meet with the president to brief him on the security situation in the country. “They need to brief the president on the security situation in their various areas. They need to update him officially on the situation on ground,” a presidential aide said.

Dasuki remained with the president till after 4pm when he left the Defence House.

In his inaugural speech on Friday, Buhari said victory could not be achieved in the fight against Boko Haram insurgency by concentrating the command and control centre in Abuja.

He therefore announced that the command and control centre would be relocated to Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, which has come under severe attack by the terrorists in the last couple of days.

Buhari said that the command and control centre would remain in Maiduguri until Boko Haram was completely subdued.

He said Nigeria could not claim to have defeated Boko Haram without rescuing the over 200 Chibok schoolgirls and all other innocent persons held hostage by the insurgents.

“The command centre will be relocated to Maiduguri and remain until Boko Haram is completely subdued. But we cannot claim to have defeated Boko Haram without rescuing the Chibok girls and all other innocent persons held hostage by insurgents,” he said.

Meanwhile, DSP Mu’azu Isa Abba was yesterday appointed as Squadron Commander of the presidential escort in Abuja. Abba, who would be in charge of Mobile Police officers in the presidential villa, was decorated by the Inspector General of Police and his management team at the Force Headquarters yesterday.

Buhari and Vice President Professor Yemi Osinbajo are yet to relocate to the Presidential Villa, three days after their inauguration.

But Shehu said that Buhari could not move in because “some renovation was going on. The place is being cleaned up for his occupation.”

The spokesperson said “contractors are working probably at their own pace, if I need to know or if you need to know this, probably we have to talk to someone.”

He added that “I am not saying he is comfortable where he is at his rented house but he is operating from there at the moment. When the villa is ready he will move.”

On Buhari’s ministerial appointment, Shehu said “I have no idea, but it is not something anybody will rush because you know that the National Assembly has to approve. When are you going to have the National Assembly in place? That is the question.”

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