President Muhammadu Buhari has directed service chiefs to deploy competent officers and men to restore peace and order in troubled areas across the country in the next “few weeks.”

The president gave the ultimatum when he decorated the recently appointed service chiefs with their new ranks at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Friday.

Mr. Buhari charged the service chiefs to restore “rapid relief” by tackling the menace of insurgency, banditry and other forms of insecurity challenges confronting the country.

He said the deadline had become imperative in view of the fact that this year’s rainy season was fast approaching.

”I urge you to identify your competent officers and men, irrespective of their seniority or paper qualifications and deploy them to make sure we secure the country.

”You get a few weeks to do that because by the rainy season we expect farmers would develop enough confidence to go back to their farmlands to produce enough food for the nation,” he said.

The President also charged the service chiefs to ensure that peace and security persist across the six-geopolitical zones of the country.

“As I assured at our last security meeting, I have taken responsibility as C-in-C for them to go out into the fields and every part of the country, to ensure peace and security. I have accepted responsibility for all actions taken in fulfillment of the mandate to secure Nigeria,” Mr. Buhari added.

He urged the service chiefs not to betray the confidence reposed in them by Nigerians. 

The Chief of Defence Staff, Maj.-Gen. Lucky Irabor, who was decorated with a new rank of General, spoke on behalf of the service chiefs, pledging their loyalty to the president and the nation’s Constitution.

Mr. Irabor was decorated with the rank of General while Chief of Army Staff, Maj-Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru was decorated with the new rank of Lieutenant General.

Others decorated with new ranks were the Chief of Navy Staff, Rear Admiral Awwal Gambo, who is now Vice-Marshal and the Chief of Air Staff, Air Vice-Marshal Isiaka Amao becomes Air Marshal. 

(NAN)