Insecurity: What Tinubu Said After I Told Him To Speak Directly To Nigerians – Ndume

The lawmaker representing Borno South senatorial district, Ali Ndume, has disclosed details of his closed-door meeting with President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, Abuja,

He stated that the meeting centred on security and the economy, describing both as Nigeria’s most urgent challenges.

Naija News reports that he stated this while addressing State House correspondents after the meeting.

He said the President demonstrated his commitment to restoring security by convening a meeting with the service chiefs before receiving him.

“I had an appointment for 3 pm, but I had to wait because the President was in a security meeting. As you can see, the service chiefs came in. That means the President is sitting up,” he said.

According to him, military operations have intensified in the North-West against bandits, while campaigns in the North-East have led to the neutralisation of insurgent leaders and the surrender of several fighters.

He also acknowledged improvements in the South-East, where he said separatist-related violence had declined significantly.

“The South-East issue is not as before, and that is one area where we need to commend the President, the Chief of Defence Staff, the Army and other security agencies for what they are doing,” he said.

Ndume also welcomed the decision by the 19 Northern governors to establish a regional security trust fund, describing it as a positive step towards strengthening collaboration between the Federal Government and the states.

“You don’t leave security entirely to the Federal Government. If the governors are contributing resources, they should work with existing security institutions. The more coordinated the effort, the stronger the response,” he said.

Beyond security, the senator urged the Tinubu administration to intensify efforts to cushion the economic hardship facing Nigerians through better coordination of interventions aimed at reducing the cost of living.

“We have all it takes. It is just that we need to coordinate our efforts. Once Nigerians see the efforts of the government, they will appreciate them,” he said.

Ndume also said he advised President Tinubu to engage Nigerians more directly through regular national addresses, arguing that effective communication would strengthen public confidence in government policies.

“I told Mr. President that he should speak directly to Nigerians. People expect their leader to tell them what is going on instead of leaving others to speak on his behalf. That is very important,” he said.

He said the President welcomed his suggestions and agreed that they should hold regular consultations on national issues, stressing that solving Nigeria’s multifaceted challenges require contributions from a broad range of stakeholders.

“A country like Nigeria must have problems, and the President alone cannot solve all the problems. He needs people that can share ideas with him because two heads are better than one,” Ndume said.