Former Bayelsa State governorship candidate in the 2023 election, Engineer Udengs Eradiri, on Thursday commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the steps taken so far to tackle insecurity in the country.
Eradiri particularly hailed the appointment of the immediate past Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Christopher Musa (rtd), as Minister of Defence.
Speaking with newsmen in Yenagoa, Eradiri also applauded the National Assembly for the swift screening and confirmation of Musa, describing it as a sign of a renewed determination to confront banditry and terrorism.
The former Bayelsa Commissioner for Youths and later Environment further commended President Tinubu for converting the recent United States reaction to Nigeria’s security situation into an opportunity for collaborative diplomacy.
According to him, the President “intelligently transformed the aggression coming from America into a coordinated effort to find a lasting solution to insecurity.”
Eradiri urged President Tinubu to create a system that would purge saboteurs and moles across public institutions, especially within the national security architecture.
He observed that most governors were, for the first time, presenting trillion-naira budgets for the 2026 fiscal year, attributing the development to the economic reforms of President Tinubu.
Eradiri said:
“I want to commend Mr President for actions taken recently to address insecurity. One of them is turning the aggression coming from America into diplomacy. Instead of guns blazing, it is now a collaborative effort to rid Nigeria of the cancer affecting us.
“I also commend the appointment of the recently retired Defence Chief as Minister of Defence. The ministry cannot be run by people who have no business with security. Nigerians are happy with the appointment of Gen. Musa; he is a round peg in a round hole.”
He said the real challenge lies in rooting out moles within government institutions.
“The problem is the moles in government, the APC, the National Assembly, the civil service, the army, and the national security architecture. That is where the fight must start,” he said.
Eradiri called on the President to identify, name, and shame individuals sabotaging the system, and to take decisive action to stop the compromise of military signals.
He further urged governors to ensure that the increased revenue accruing to states translates into improved living conditions for citizens.
“We appeal to governors to judiciously utilize the humongous resources coming to them due to the economic intelligence of President Tinubu’s administration. This revenue must reflect in the standard of living of citizens,” he said.
