President Muhammadu Buhari has said that every Nigerian has an active role to play to ensure the safety of the country, irrespective of their status.
This was contained in his speech at the opening ceremony of a four-day special summit on national security convened by the House of Representatives in Abuja on Wednesday.
The President lauded the green chamber organising the forum to allow stakeholders to brainstorm on issues affecting the country and the way forward at this critical time.
Buhari, represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) Boss Mustapha, said security had become a major concern at global, regional and national levels.
He said, “Addressing them (security challenges) effectively to restore peace and security remains the responsibility of all Nigerians in and out of the public office and our democratic institutions,”
“Nigeria shares land borders with Benin, Cameroon, Chad and Niger; and maritime boundaries with Equatorial Guinea, Ghana, Sao Tome and Principe.
“The challenges these borders pose to our national security and interest are enormous; the instability and conflict in the Chad basin alone deserves close attention.
“Our nation has to grapple with various forms of internal security issues over the past decade in all geo-political zones.”
Buhari said the summit was timely, as the country was mourning the Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru and other gallant officers who died in a plane crash.
He said that their death was a painful loss to the nation, the military, and efforts to combat security challenges in the country