BEING TEXT OF WELCOME ADDRESS DELIVERED BY ISIAKA MUSTAPHA, CHIEF
EXECUTIVE OFFICER, PEOPLE’S SECURITY MONITOR AT THE PEOPLE’S SECURITY
MONITOR 2022 ABUJA SECURITY CONFERENCE HELD AT THE NATIONAL MERIT
HOUSE, MAITAMA ABUJA ON WEDNESDAY, 30TH NOVEMBER, 2022
OUR DISTINGUISHED GUEST OF HONOUR, ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR AHMED ABUBAKAR
AUDI, mni, OFR
OUR VERY PATRIOTIC AND RESULT ORIENTED COMMANDER GENERAL OF THE
VIGILANTE GROUP OF NIGERIA, VGN, RETIRED NAVY (DOCTOR) CAPTAIN UMAR
BAKORI, FSS PSC
OUR DISTINGUISHED AFRICA’S NUMBER JOURNALIST AND NIGERIA’S PRESIDENT
OF THE NIGERIA UNION OF JOURNALISTS, HIGH CHIEF CHRISTOPHER ISIGUZO,
MFR
DISTINGUISHED DIRECTOR GENERAL OF THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE SERVICES, MR
YUSUF MAGAJI BICHI CFR, fwc. ABLY REPRESENTED.
DISTINGUISHED DIRECTOR GENERAL OF THE NATIONAL ORIENTATION AGENCY, DR.
GARBA ABARI
VERY DISTINGUISHED REPRESENTATIVES OF THE SERVICE CHIEFS AND OTHER
REPRESENTATIVES OF OUR INVITEES.
DISTINGUISHED LADIES AND GENTLE MEN
MEMBERS OF THE PRESS
IT GIVES A GREAT PRIVILEGE, PLEASURE AND HONOUR TO WELCOME YOU ALL TO
THIS VERY IMPORTANT OCCASION ORGANIZED FOR THE BENEFIT AND LIVE
SUSTENANCE OF NIGERIA WITH A VIEW TO HELP FIXING NIGERIA’S SEEMING
FRAGILE SECURITY AT OUR DIFFERENT LEVELS AND CAPACITIES.
THIS EVENT COULD NOT HAVE COME AT A MORE APPROPRIATE TIME CONSIDERING
THE FACT THAT WE WE ARE JUST LESS THAN THREE MONTHS AWAY FROM OUR
GENERAL ELECTIONS.
OUR THEME FOR THIS EVENT THAT IS: ‘’FIXING NIGERIA’S SECURITY BEFORE,
DURING AND AFTER 2023 GENERAL ELECTIONS, A TASK FOR ALL’’ WAS CAREFUL
CHOSEN TAKING INTO COGNIZANCE THE CARDINAL AND INEVITABLE ROLE
SECURITY PLAYS DURING THE ELECTIONS, NOT ONLY IN NIGERIA BUT ALL OVER
THE WORLD.
HAVING BEEN FACED WITH INTIMIDATING AND SEVERE SECURITY CHALLENGES
WHICH SADLY ENOUGH HAD TAKEN LIVES OF THOUSANDS OF OUR COUNTRY MEN AND
WOMEN, CHILDREN INCLUSIVE FOR MORE THAN A DECADE, WE ARE LEFT WITH NO
OPTION OTHER THAN STEPPING UP OUR PATRIOTIC ZEAL AND COMBAT
METHODOLOGY TO WARD OFF THE SEEMING SECURITY THREATS THAT MAY TRUNCATE
NIGERIA’S GENERAL ELECTIONS NEXT YEAR.
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN YOU WILL ALL AGREE WITH ME THAT NIGERIA OUR DEAR
COUNTRY IS TOO PRECIOUS TO US TO BE LEFT IN THE HANDS OF AGENTS OF
DESTABILIZATION, COLLECTIVELY, WE ALL OWE NIGERIA THE RESPONSIBILITY
OF RISING UP TO COMBAT HER ENEMIES IN WHATEVER DISGUISE, AND BAIL HER
OUT FROM THE CLAWS OF AGENTS OF INSECURITY.
FELLOW NIGERIANS, LET IT BE KNOWN THAT WE ARE DUTY BOUND TO ENSURE THE
SECURITY AND PEACE IN NIGERIA IRRESPECTIVE OF TRIBAL, POLITICAL OR
RELIGIOUS AFFILIATION.
WE CAN’T JUST ALLOW OUR FUTURE AND THAT OF THE UNBORN GENERATION TO BE
SHATTERED BY A HANDFUL OF UNSCRUPULOUS ELEMENTS.
NO MATTER THE CIRCUMSTANCES, WE MUST BE RESOLUTE IN OUR DECISION NEVER
TO ALLOW ANYONE OR A GROUP OF PEOPLE UNDER WHATEVER DISGUISE TO CUT
SHORT OUR HARD WON DEMOCRACY.
OBVIOUSLY ANY ATTACK ON OUR SECURITY MEN AND WOMEN IS AN ATTACK ON THE
STATE OF NIGERIA AND A DECLARATION OF WAR AGAINST NIGERIA, AND THIS
EXPLAINS WHY IT MUST BE COUNTERED WITH OVERWHELMING FORCE.
WHEN THOSE WHOSE RESPONSIBILITY IT IS TO PROTECT US ARE THEMSELVES
BEING SUBJECTED TO MINDLESS ATTACKS, IT CAN ONLY BE FOR ONE REASON;
AND THAT IS TO INSTILL FEAR AND EVOKE A SENSE OF PERVASIVE AMONG THE
PEOPLE, THIS WE SHOULD NEVER ALLOW TO HAPPEN.
LET ME PLEAD WITH OUR SECURITY OPERATIVES AND TO BE VIGILANTE ENOUGH
AND BE READY TO APPLY ALL THE LEGITIMATE FORCES TO DEAL WITH NIGERIA’S
ENEMIES OR ANY INDIVIDUAL OR GROUP OF PEOPLE THAT MAY POSE THREATS NOT
ONLY TO 2023 GENERAL ELECTIONS BUT OTHER FUTURE ELECTIONS IN NIGERIA.
LET ME AT THIS POINT EXPRESS OUR PROFOUND GRATITUDE TO ALL OUR
SECURITY AGENTS WHO HAVE BEEN SADDLED WITH THE TASKING RESPONSIBILITY
OF SUSTAINING OUR SECURITY AT ALL TIMES. NO OTHER RESPONSIBILITY COULD
BE MORE CHALLENGING AND PATRIOTIC THAN WHAT ALL OF YOU ARE DOING FOR
THE NATION. WE SINCERELY THANK YOU ALL.
LASTLY, I WANT TO SAY CONGRATULATE OUR CHIEF GUEST SPEAKER, DR AHMED
ABUBAKAR, THE COMMANDANT GENERAL OF THE NIGERIA SECURITY AND CIVIL
DEFENCE CORPS, NSCDC FOR HIS BRILLIANT PERFORMANCE SINCE HE TOOK OVER
THE BATON OF LEADERSHIP AT THE NSCDC. I THANK THE COMMANDER GENERAL OF
THE VIGILANTE GROUP OF NIGERIA, RETIRED NAVY CAPTAIN DR UMAR BAKORI,
THOUGH RETIRED BUT NEVER GOT TIRED OF ENSURING SECURITY IN NIGERIA
THANK YOU SO MUCH SIR FOR ALL YOUR SUPPORT.
LET ME ALSO THANK OTHER SPEAKERS AT THIS OCCASION FOR THEIR IMMENSE
CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE PEACE PROJECT IN NIGERIA.WE ARE PROUD OF YOU ALL.
BEFORE I ROUND UP MY SPEECH PERMIT ME TO ONCE AGAIN RE EMPHASIZE THAT
NIGERIA’S SECURITY IS OUR COLLECTIVE RESPONSIBILITY, WE MUST
CONSISTENTLY JOIN HANDS WITH ALL OUR SECURITY AGENTS TO ACHIEVE FOR
NIGERIA THE DESIRED SECURITY AND PEACE.
I THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR ATTENTION AND WELCOME YOU ALL TO THE PEOPLE’S
SECURITY MONITOR 2022 ABUJA SECURITY CONFERENCE…