Senator Ali Ndume on Thursday met with President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, where he called for stronger action to tackle the country’s worsening security challenges and economic hardship.
Speaking with State House correspondents after the meeting, the Borno South senator said he sought an audience with the President to share ideas on addressing Nigeria’s pressing challenges, adding that Tinubu welcomed the engagement and proposed that such consultations be held regularly.
Ndume said their discussions focused largely on insecurity and the economic difficulties Nigerians face, stressing that solving the country’s challenges requires collaboration and the exchange of ideas.
“The President even insisted that we should do this regularly, not necessarily in the office where people are always rushing in and out, but in a more relaxed setting, perhaps at his residence, so we can think together about how to solve some of these problems,” he said.
He noted that while the President is responsible for leading the country, tackling Nigeria’s complex problems requires contributions from well-meaning Nigerians.
According to him, insecurity remains the country’s biggest concern, with violent attacks no longer confined to the North-East but spreading to the North-West, North-Central, South-West and parts of the South-East.
Ndume, however, commended President Tinubu, the military and other security agencies for intensifying operations against criminal groups, saying recent successes against bandits indicate that the government is making progress.
He revealed that his meeting with the President was delayed because Tinubu was holding a security meeting with the service chiefs, describing it as evidence of the administration’s commitment to restoring security.
“There has been a lot of pressure recently on bandits in the North-West, the North-East and elsewhere. Some of their leaders have been taken out, and some of their commanders surrendered yesterday. If this momentum is sustained, we are confident that the problem will eventually end,” he said.
The senator also urged the government to pay greater attention to the welfare of Nigerians by addressing rising fuel prices, food inflation and transportation costs.
He said Nigeria possesses the resources to confront its economic challenges but requires better coordination to ensure government interventions produce tangible results.
Ndume further advised President Tinubu to communicate more directly with Nigerians, arguing that citizens expect to hear from their leader, particularly during difficult times.
“I told Mr President that he should reach out more. He promised to look into it and to speak directly to Nigerians. People expect their leader to tell them what is going on instead of allowing others to speak on his behalf,” he said.
On the decision by the 19 northern governors to establish a regional security trust fund, Ndume described the initiative as a welcome development, saying security should not be left solely to the Federal Government.
He also backed calls for a tougher approach against terrorists, insisting that security forces should deal decisively with anyone identified as a terrorist.
According to him, greater collaboration between federal and state authorities would strengthen the country’s security architecture and improve efforts to defeat banditry and terrorism.
