Focus on North East heightened insecurity in other parts , says critics are unpatriotic– Buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari. …says those politicising issue not patriotic President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday said the successes recorded in degrading terrorists in the North East will be extended to various parts of the country.
The president said criminals took advantage of the focus on the North East to commit crimes in other parts of the country.  Receiving executive members of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) led by the President Dr Francis Adedayo Faduyile at the State House, Buhari assured Nigerians that security still tops his list of priorities.
“If you cannot secure a country or institution, you  cannot manage it,” he said. He noted that efforts were still ongoing to improve employment level, following the success in getting many into the agricultural sector. He said that opening up the economy for investments and getting the youths engaged will control crime rate. On health and education, Buhari urged states and local governments to play stronger roles in complementing the efforts of the Federal Government, especially in getting more children into classrooms. “The issues of health and education are constitutional. If there are too many almajiris in a state, then the government is not following the constitution.
“The states also have elites who are educated enough to remind their governments about their responsibility to almajiris,” he said. In his remarks, the President of the NMA said there was a need to make the National Health Insurance Scheme compulsory for all Nigerians, including those in the informal sector. He also urged the Federal Government to strengthen the primary health care system, institute a health bank where medical professionals can access loans for facilities, remove duties on imported medical equipment and give more attention to security. He canvassed that the budget on health should be improved from four percent to 15 per cent.
Those politicising insecurity not patriotic – President Similarly, the president has said that those who are politicizing the country’s security challenges are not patriotic. Hosting the executives of the Buhari Campaign Organisation (BCO) who visited him at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, he said: “Those who politicize the isolated incidents of insecurity are not patriotic Nigerians. “I am confident that this administration will use all the resources at its disposal to protect the lives and properties of all Nigerians, and not just prominent Nigerians or those who make headlines. “While we have made significant progress in the fight against terrorism, we acknowledge that there are also emerging challenges like kidnapping and banditry. “I assure you and Nigerians that we will not relent in our efforts to secure our country from criminal activities.”
A former President Olusegun Obasanjo had Monday released an open letter to Buhari, criticising his approach to governance and the security challenges. The president also reassured Nigerians to step up the fight against corruption in the country. “As you may be aware, the AU at its deliberations last year, appointed me as African Anti-Corruption Champion for the continent. “This is because other countries have seen our dedication to fighting corruption and they are keying in to emulate our approach,” he said.