Insecurity: $1bn inadequate for military hardware —Jonathan

PRESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan, on Thursday, regretted that the $1billion recently released by his administration to procure military equipment to bolster the war against terror is inadequate. Speaking as panelist at the first plenary of the ongoing World Economic Forum (WEF) on Africa, in Abuja, he said on the difficulty in confronting terrorism being a new phenomenon in the country, would take a while for necessary measures to be perfected to deal adequately with the menace. The president did not say when exactly the amount was released. “Now, we are confronted with a security phenomenon that we did not know before. It takes time for you to train people and to build a security architecture, and that is what we are improving on everyday. “Not too long ago, I gave approval for over $1 billion for us to acquire what we require. That is not just enough but I am just giving an example. “These challenges are recent, but I guarantee that we shall get this thing under control,” he said. Jonathan’s statement came as the Secretary- General of the United Nations, Mr Ban Ki Moon, conveyed the sympathy and solidarity of the global community with the government and people of Nigeria on the abduction of girls from Government Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State. The UN scribe spoke with President Goodluck Jonathan on the phone, assuring that the world body was ready to help Nigeria in every possible way to rescue the abducted girls and achieve greater security of lives and property in all parts of the country. Jonathan met with the United States Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr James Entwistle, to discuss modalities for the actualisation of the offer made by President Barrack Obama to assist Nigeria in rescuing the girls abducted. The meeting on the sidelines of the ongoing World Economic Forum on Africa was a follow- up to talks held on Wednesday between Mr Entwistle and Nigerian security officials on the United States’ offer of assistance. At the talks with the Ambassador, Jonathan reiterated Nigeria’s appreciation of the United States offer to deploy US security personnel and assets to work with their Nigerian counterparts in the search and rescue operation, which was conveyed to him on Tuesday by the US Secretary of State, Mr John Kerry. He told Mr. Entwistle and other delegations which met separately with him at the venue of the World Economic Forum that the much greater support which Nigeria was receiving from the United States and other members of the international community in the aftermath of the Chibok abductions would certainly help the country to rapidly overcome the Boko Haram insurgency. A statement issued by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, said others received by Jonathan included the president of Ghana, Mr John Mahama and the president of the ECOWAS Commission, Mr Kadré Désiré Ouédraogo, who brought him a message of solidarity from ECOWAS Heads of State and Government. Mahama informed Jonathan that to support Nigeria’s efforts to rescue the abducted girls and defeat terrorism, ECOWAS leaders had decided to invoke the community’s protocols on counter- terrorism. The Ghanaian leader said a meeting of Heads of Intelligence Services of ECOWAS member- countries would hold in Accra, Ghana, next week, to work out a new framework for intelligence sharing in support of the effort to eradicate the threat of terrorism in Nigeria and the entire West African sub-region. The president also had private meetings with Professor Klaus Schwab, the founder of the World Economic Forum, who said Nigeria deserved the maximum solidarity of the world at this trying moment. He also met with President Jakaya Kikwete of Tanzania, former president Lula Da Silva of Brazil and the Prime Minister of Mali, Mr Moussa Mara, all of who conveyed the solidarity of their governments and people.