The Muhammadu Buhari administration will begin collecting social media
information, profiles and postings of notable Nigerians.
President Muhamamdu Buhari on Thursday met behind closed doors with the
nation’s security chiefs as part of efforts aimed at end the spate of
insecurity across the country.
The administration gave marching orders to the relevant security agencies
to as a matter of urgency tackle the propagation of hate speeches
especially through the social media particularly by some high profile
Nigerians.
Top on the agenda were the stringent conditions imposed by the United
States government for the sale of 12 Super Tucano A29 planes and other
weapons worth $495 million.
It warned that the Armed forces is currently synergising with other
security agencies through intelligence sharing and joint operations to
address the various security challenges in Nigeria.
The meeting which last led three hours was held inside the President’s
office at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The Minister of Defence, Mansur Dan-Ali; and the National Security
Adviser, Babagana Monguno, led the security chiefs to the meeting.
The new Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency, Ahmed
Abubakar, attended the security meeting for the first time since his
recent appointment.
In attendance were the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Gabriel
Olonisakin, Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai, Chief of Air
Staff, Air Marshall Sadique Abubakar, and Chief of Naval Staff Vice
Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas, and the Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim
Idris.
Dan Ali, who briefed State House corespondents after the meeting, said
while the US government insists that the payment must be made by February
20, 2018, it also maintained that the aircrafts can only be available in
2020.
Apart from that, the US government has also forbidden Nigerian personnel
from being sent to understudy the production process of the aircrafts as
Nigeria had done in the case of other countries.
The minister said the council has approved that the Ministry of Defence
meets with the US Ambassador to Nigeria, Stuart Symington, to iron out out
the contending issues.
The Donald Trump administration last December, agreed to proceed with the
sale of the aircrafts to Nigeria after the Obama administration had
delayed it following bombing of a refugee camp in January last year by the
Nigerian Air Force.
He said, “The contract include cost which is $494 million to acquire the
Super Tucano A29 plans as well as training, where the facilities will be
accommodated and continuous servicing among others.
“Some of the stringent measures include that we will start having them
from 2020, which is two years from now. They are also thinking of not
allowing our technicians to be part of the production inspection. But this
is what we normally do in all the defence contracts, we send our personnel
to go and understudy especially when it comes to specialized aircrafts
like in Russia, our personnel are permanently based in where the
production is being done for this MI35 helicopters.”
On the curtailment of the proliferation of light arms, DAN-Ali said the
council has set up committee to work out modalities to transform the
Presidential Committee on Small Arms and Light Weapons (PRESCOM) to a
National Commission.
He said the members of the National Commission are drawn from all security
services with the Office of the National Security Adviser, Ministry of
Defense as well as Ministry of Interior and will be headed by a retired
General.
According to him, “similar accommodations were built by Defence
Headquarters and commissioned by the HMOD in Abuja last month. This has
gone a long way to solving accommodation problem and boosting the morale
of personnel serving in Abuja.”
The minister revealed that the council also discussed the remote and
immediate causes of the frequent farmers/herdsmen deadly clashes in the
country, which he blamed on the blockage of cattle routes and the
establishment of anti-grazing laws by some states and the existence of
local militias.
“Look at this issue (killings in Benue and Taraba), what is the remote
causes of this farmers crisis. Since the nation’s Independence, we know
there use to be a route whereby the cattle rearers take because they are
all over the nation. You go to Bayelsa, Ogun, you will see them. If those
routes are blocked what do you expect will happen?
“These people are Nigerians. Is just like one going to block shoreline,
does that make sense to you? These are the remote causes of the crisis.
But the immediate cause is the grazing law. These people are Nigerians and
we must learn to live together with each other. Communities and other
people must learn how to accept foreigners within their enclave. Finish!”
Asked if he was justifying the killings because of the blocking or the
routes, the minister said, “you are going away from what I came here to
do. However, this is internal security, I can provide some answers. I have
told you that the remote cause is part of the grazing law. Since
independence there are clear routes where these people pass.