The National Security Adviser (NSA), retired Maj.-Gen. Babagana Monguno has dismissed speculation that President Muhammadu Buhari was about to sack his service chiefs during the Thursday’s meeting of the National Security Council.
The first meeting in 2020 came amidst calls in some quarters for the removal of the service chiefs due to the ongoing security challenges in some parts of the country.
Monguno told newsman after the meeting that the council which is the highest security body in the country chaired by the President, did not discuss the issue of the service chiefs.
The NSA said the quarterly meeting focused on appraisal of the security situation across the country with a view to finding lasting solutions to the problem.
“The meeting basically made an appraisal of the current security situation in the country and took a look at the possibilities, the opportunities available to government in addressing most of the recent challenges,” he said.
“There were discussions and at the end of the day, the most important thing that we came up with is the need for collaboration, both between governmental agencies and the larger Nigerian society because of the type of the insurgencies we are faced with, the complexities, the multiplicity of all kinds of issues.
“There is a need for both parties, governmental agencies on one hand and the larger society to collaborate more vigorously. There is a need for us to deal with these problems in a comprehensive manner.
“Therefore, council has decided to take a closer look at issues that will help us not just at the federal level or at the state level, but right down to the local government level.
“But this is going to be done after due consultations with the relevant stakeholders,’’ NAN quoted him as saying.
Buhari presided over the 2020 maiden meeting with Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha and the security chiefs in attendance.