Orders dismantling of military roadblocks

Eight killed in twin suicide attacks on Borno market

President Muhammadu Buhari monday paid a courtesy call on State House correspondents at the Press Gallery, during which he lamented the near empty treasury left behind by his predecessor, former President Goodluck Jonathan.

Buhari's meeting with the State House Press Corps was a clear departure from his predecessor who never met with State House correspondents throughout his over five years as president.

Buhari informed them that he met a virtually empty treasury, with debts running into millions of dollars, adding that it was a disgrace for Nigeria that the salaries of state workers and even federal workers had not been paid.

Speaking on the calibre of his media team, he said it was not by accident that he got the best (Femi Adesina) from the media to serve as his special adviser, adding that he was one of the 15 aides he got clearance from the Senate to appoint.

"He is one of the best Presidents of the Nigerian Guild of Editors that I can have as special adviser. I brought one of the best of you so that he can consistently defend me against you.

"Whether my job is a difficult one or easy one is up to him, but I'm here to thank you in advance for what good you are going to do to me," he said. Buhari then solicited the support of the media, stating: "I had to quickly come and see you and welcome you to this place. I hope that what happened of recent between the former president and one of you will not happen between me and you.

"I hope we are starting and this culture (that has) developed – of 100 days is bringing so much pressure, (but) with the treasury virtually empty, with debts in millions of dollars, with state workers and even federal workers not paid their salaries, is such a disgrace for Nigeria.

"I think Nigeria should be in a position to pay its workers. So this bad management that we find ourselves in, we really need your help to protect us from people before they march on us." After his brief remarks, the president thanked the correspondents and departed the Press Gallery.

Earlier in the day, Buhari had ordered the dismantling of military roadblocks across the country. Following the directive, the police will take over the responsibility of maintaining internal security in line with the constitution.

This was one of the decisions reached at the end of Buhari's meeting with service chiefs in his first day at the presidential villa. The meeting also discussed the implementation of decisions taken by the heads of government of Nigeria, Chad, Benin Republic, Niger and Cameroun on tackling the Boko Haram menace.

The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Defence Ismail Aliyu briefed State House correspondents at the end of the meeting. He said the Nigerian Armed Forces are ready to bring to an end the menace of Boko Haram.

Aliyu stated that the president was fully briefed on the readiness of security agencies in this regard. "One most interesting thing about it is that we are going out much happier because Mr. President has shown to us that he is still a soldier, he has updated and enriched our strategic plans.

"The second item that was discussed was the movement of the command centre to the North-east. We have briefed him on how far we had gone on that and he has given us some additional assignment, but very soon the centre will be operational.

"I also want to assure Nigerians that with what we have come out with from this meeting, we are very enthusiastic that the issue of Boko Haram will soon be over. "He (Buhari) has given us hope that we will see peace and security in the very near future,"the permanent secretary said.

Asked what would be done differently, he said: "Now we have come as a united front, we have Chad, Cameroun, Benin and Niger. We have all strategised and we are coming out with one strategy that we are going to address the Boko Haram with, unlike before." Aliyu also told journalists that the issue of whether the service chiefs would be sacked did not come up at the meeting.

On military roadblocks, he said: "The president had instructed the Chief of Defence Staff to get the Chief of Army Staff and Inspector General of Police to remove all the military men along the roads across the country."

On the absence of the Inspector General of Police (IG), Directors General of the Department of State Security (DSS) and Nigerian Intelligence Agency (NIA) at the meeting, Aliyu said: "This is not a national security meeting. This is a briefing by the Ministry of Defence on the operationalisation of the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) and the relocation of the command control centre to the North-east, so it is something restricted to the Ministry of Defence."

The president is billed to meet the 36 state governors today on measures to be taken on the unpaid workers' salaries by several states in the country. Just as the president and his deputy were settling into work at the State House, eight persons were killed during a twin suicide attack at a popular market in Maiduguri, Abu Yusuf, a member of the youth vigilante group, told THISDAY on the phone monday.

He said the attack on the market, the biggest dried fish market in Borno State, was carried out by two female suicide bombers. According to him, the blasts occurred simultaneously and were well coordinated. Yusuf said: "The suicide bombers found their way into the market during the second afternoon prayer at 3.45 pm when most people were congregated in groups to pray.

"They detonated the bombs strapped on them a few metres apart." He said other than the two suicide bombers, six persons were blown apart, with over 10 severely injured and taken to the hospital. The market which is opposite the police station, known as the Baga fish market, is popular for dried fish. Since the commencement of the Boko Haram crisis in the state, the market has at various times, been attacked by the insurgents.