Isa Yuguda, former Bauchi State governor, has urged the federal government to intensify border security, intelligence gathering and regional cooperation to prevent the infiltration of terrorists and criminal networks into Nigeria.
Yuguda, who is Chairman of the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the APC Professionals Forum, spoke on Tuesday in Abuja at the second edition of the Forum’s Policy Roundtable, tagged the Asiwaju Scorecard Series, with the theme, “Dissecting the Renewed Hope Deliverables & Achievements.” The former governor said Nigeria continues to confront serious security challenges arising partly from instability in some neighbouring countries, porous borders, and the cross-border movement of armed groups and criminal networks into Nigerian territory.
“These external pressures have complicated the federal government’s security efforts and, in some instances, enabled terrorist and criminal elements to infiltrate communities and perpetrate violence. “The administration must therefore continue strengthening border security, intelligence gathering, regional security cooperation, surveillance capabilities, and the operational capacity of security agencies to consolidate the progress already being recorded,” he said.
Yuguda, however, said increased funding, improved operational support and investment in modern equipment were strengthening the capacity of the armed forces and other security agencies. He also defended President Bola Tinubu’s removal of petrol subsidy, describing it as a difficult but necessary reform capable of freeing resources for national development. “One of the most significant reforms of the President Tinubu administration is the removal of fuel subsidy,” he said.
Yuguda, who chaired the Fuel Subsidy Task Force in 2009, said his committee uncovered “serious irregularities, fraudulent practices, and financial leakages” in the subsidy regime. He cautioned against proposals to restore subsidy, particularly the position canvassed by Atiku Abubakar, presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), saying it could revive the leakages and inefficiencies associated with the old regime.