Oshiomhole Defends Tinubu, Says President Has Political Will In Abundance

The Senator representing Edo North, Adams Oshiomhole, has dismissed claims that President Bola Tinubu’s government has failed to prioritise national security.

He argued that the rising insecurity in the country was not due to Tinubu’s lack of “political will.”

Naija News reports that Oshiomhole stated this in Abuja at the public presentation of a book authored by the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) Federal Capital Territory Commandant, Olusola Odumosu.

He said, “What is the difficult thing in political will? The commander-in-chief gives the order: Go and ensure that the country is safe. As President Bola Tinubu has done repeatedly.

“I am putting my mouth where I am putting resources and he has prepared more money even supplementary budget at the National Assembly, approved. What more political will do you need?”

He further noted that the President declared a state of emergency and replaced former service chiefs as part of efforts to strengthen national security.

“What is the difficult thing in political will? The commander-in-chief give the order: Go and ensure that the country is safe. As President Bola Tinubu has done repeatedly.

“I am putting my mouth where I am putting resources and he has prepared more money even supplementary budget at the National Assembly, approved. What more political will do you need?” he added.

He further noted that the President declared a state of emergency and replaced former service chiefs as part of efforts to strengthen national security.

According to Oshiomhole, the President has political will “in abundance”.

He said, “The Commander-in-Chief decided to declare State of Emergency and even told the armed forces no more excuse. He even replaced the former security chiefs with these ones. To sack chiefs in a village you know the challenges not to talk of sacking security chiefs. There is no question that there is no political will.

“So I think all of us as a people, particularly those who are in politics, whether they are in the opposition, we need to understand that when it comes to security, there is one Nigeria. There is no APC, no PDP, or whatever.

“I’m not aware that anybody has been queried for apprehending a dangerous criminal. So what is political will, the President has it in abundance.”

Oshiomhole, however, raised concerns about the implementation of security directives, questioning whether instructions from leadership are effectively carried out at operational levels.

“But between the commander and the other guy in the battlefield, I think it’s where we probably can benefit from relations, how the system goes, because the system works on a command basis.

“On that one, I have not read the book and I don’t know if you addressed it, because as a commander of a FCT when you give out these instructions, go and do X, Y, Z on the field, and this is to be carried out by other ranks, do you always find out these people in the other ranks share your concerns and are willing and have the equipment, the morale, the allowances required to do what you have commanded?” he stated.