Minister of Special Duties and Supervising Minister of Labour, Alhaji Tanimu Turaki on Sunday disclosed that President Goodluck Jonathan would use the instrumentality of the security agencies to ensure that the requisite peace was provided for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct election with a view to ensuring that no Nigerian was disenfranchised.
However, he said Nigerians must now learn to live with insecurity. According to him, “Insecurity, like my colleague has said, is something we must as Nigerians begin to learn to live with. Let us appreciate that the problem of insecurity is not a problem of security agents alone.”
Speaking to newsmen in Bauchi,Turaki said the aim was to ensure that no Nigerian in any part of the country was disenfranchised in the forthcoming general elections. He also noted that already there is remarkable improvement in the security situation in the region.
According to him, “Mr President in his acceptance speech last Thursday when he was elected, he assured that election would be conducted in every state in Nigeria, meaning that the Federal Government of Nigeria will through the instrumentality of all the security, military and police, agencies working under it to ensure that the level playing ground that is given the requisite peace is provided for INEC to conduct election so that every Nigerian is not disenfranchised. This we are committed to, this we intend to do and this we shall do by the special grace of God.”
He said curbing the menace insecurity in the country should not be left to security agents alone saying the citizens can assist in curbing the insecurity by providing useful information to security agents that can aide in tackling the insurgents.
Turaki said that it was time Nigerians realized that insecurity was everybody’s business and act accordingly, even if it was only by giving useful information to the security agencies.
He said: “But in all this, we do not need only the support but also the prayers of all well-meaning Nigerians. At the end of the day, I want to assure you that the Federal Government under the leadership of President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has remained consistently alive to its responsibilities and obligations to Nigerians and that is to protect the lives and property of all law-abiding Nigerians and other people who may be living in Nigeria.”
Turaki said: “All of us are stakeholders, so we must do our own bit even if it is just in terms of giving useful, qualitative information to security agencies. That could help to solve a lot of problems.”
He added that the Federal Government under the leadership of President Goodluck Jonathan had achieved a lot in tackling insecurity in Nigeria, acknowledging that though there was still a lot to be done.
He said ,”But as far as issue of insecurity is concerned, a lot has been achieved . We know there is still a lot that can be done. We are working to do a lot and we would continue to do a lot.”
