President Muhammadu Buhari, Tuesday evening, gave the assurance to members of the National Assembly that available resources would be deployed to bring an end to Nigeria’s state of insecurity.
Buhari gave the assurance when he hosted the leadership and members of the National Assembly to a dinner at the Conference Centre of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The dinner was attended by 109 senators and 360 members of the House of Representatives.
Also at the occasion was Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo; Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha; and the Chief of Staff to the President, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari.
Others in attendance included some cabinet ministers as well as presidential aides.
Speaking at the occasion, the president described insecurity characterized by insurgencies, banditry, kidnapping and urban crime of all sorts as the single most difficult challenge the Nigeria was facing.
Those involved in the crimes, he said, did for monetary gains and discredited ideologies.
His words: “Some of the people who perpetuate these various manifestations of insecurity do so for profit, others, in the name of discredited ideologies.”
He added: “Whatever their motivations may be, their actions are an existential threat to our country.
“In the circumstances, we must do everything within our power, without consideration of distractions, to put an end to their activities and bring them to book.
“We cannot allow ourselves to be distracted from this objective, or waver in our commitment, and I am confident that together we will triumph in our present efforts.”
He gave the assurance that his government would deploy available resources to bring criminals to book.
The president was full of praises for members of the National Assembly for their co-operation with the Executive arm of government.
According to him the ability to govern in the best interests of the Nigerian people depends to a great deal on effective collaboration and partnership between the legislature and the executive.
He added: “The obligation to check and balance each other is not an invitation to conflict, and it should not be characterised by quarrelsome disagreement when consultation, engagements and compromise have proven time and again to be a more effective approach.
“In the 9th Assembly, you have distinguished yourselves by your conduct in office, by the scale and quality of your legislative interventions, and by your capacity for engaging with the difficult questions facing the country with maturity and competence.”