After months away from the President’s inner circle, Senator Ali Ndume is back at Aso Villa. The Borno South lawmaker, known for his blunt television interviews and criticism of government policy, met President Bola Tinubu on Thursday for what both sides described as a frank conversation. Insecurity, economic hardship, and public communication dominated the discussion. Ndume left with a promise from the President to meet more regularly, and with his own advice: that the Commander-in-Chief should speak directly to Nigerians again. It was a meeting that highlighted both the strain on the country and the channels still open for dissent within the ruling party, reports Ekuson Nw’Ogbunka Our Managing Editor from Abuja.
Senator Ali Ndume met with President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Thursday. It was the first such audience in a while, and Ndume said he had sought it and was immediately granted.
“The President was also looking forward to meeting with me. We used to have this interaction before, but somehow it stopped. Now, the interaction has resumed,” Ndume said.
Explaining the purpose of his visit, the Senate Chief Whip had this to say: “Normally, when I come here, it is to offer my ideas as a Nigerian on how to help solve some of the many and complex problems facing this country.”
The meeting, he noted, was fruitful.
The President even suggested they should meet more regularly, not necessarily in the office, but in a more relaxed setting like his residence.
Ndume stressed that the President cannot solve Nigeria’s problems alone.
“A country like Nigeria will have problems, and the President alone cannot solve them all. He needs people who can share ideas with him because, as the saying goes, two heads are better than one,” he said.
The two main issues discussed were insecurity and economic hardship.
Ndume described insecurity as the country’s greatest concern, noting that it has spread beyond the Northeast to the South, Northcentral, Northwest, and Southwest. While acknowledging progress in the Southeast, where IPOB-related insecurity has reduced, he however says the area still needs attention.
The Senator commended the Commander-in-Chief and the security agencies, saying: “We should commend those involved, particularly the President, as well as the Army and other security agencies, because they are doing their best.”
On the Northwest and Northeast, Ndume said pressure on bandits has increased recently, stating clearly that: “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 linked the progress to commitment from the top. “What has been lacking is commitment, but you can see that the President has already declared a state of emergency on security,” Ndume said.
Raising welfare issues: the cost of petrol, food, and transportation, senior parliamentarian had this to say: “We have the capacity to handle these problems; what is needed is coordination.”
Ndume’s key advice to the President was on communication. “He should reach out more… People expect their leader to tell them what is going on, instead of allowing others to speak on his behalf. It has been a while since he has spoken directly to Nigerians, and that is very important,” he said.
On the decision by 19 northern governors to set up a security trust fund and the minister’s comment on killing terrorists, Ndume was unequivocal.
“You don’t spare a bandit or a terrorist. Once you identify a terrorist, you should deal with him, because if you don’t kill him, he will kill you,” he said.
He welcomed the governors’ initiative.
“You should not leave the responsibility only to the federal government… Two heads are better than one. If you have more people on ground pressing the fight, that is a good thing.”
