Mr Ado Yahuza, the Executive Secretary, National Institute of Cultural Orientation (NICO), says the Federal Government has recorded landmark achievements in tackling security challenges in Nigeria.
Yahuza said this when he spoke with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Sunday.
”I think government is trying, all we can say is maybe where we need to redouble our effort definitely we will.
“No doubt government is trying very well on this issue of insecurity you can see clearly, even the investment government has made in terms of purchase of weapons for the military.
“You can see tha the bandits and Boko Haram insurgents are surrendering, It is just because of the fire power of the military.
“At one point in this country, military personnel use to throw their guns and run away, but today look at what is happening, so I think gradually government is reaching the promised land,” he said.
Yahuza who recently marked his one-year in office as head of NICO, added that the federal government has also invested so much towards alleviating the sufferings of Nigerians.
On efforts towards economic empowerment and poverty reduction, he said the government has created an enabling environment for youths employment in the country.
“Part of what government is doing, is what we are doing in NICO, because we are a government agency and government is funding our programmes,so we are trying our best.
“And apart from us, we have other institutions that the government is funding, government is doing alot in terms of rehabilitation, building houses and provision of jobs.
“There are so many youth inclined programmes just to try to douse tension, recently the President launched a skill acquisition programme for the youth.
“This means that they do not have to wait for a white-collar job, once youths are having something to do the tension will go down,” he said.
Yahuza added:“And I think to be fair to the current administration, there has never been a government that has invested so much in youths and the vulnerable in terms of job creation like this government.
“Right now, for over a year now, junior workers have been at home, but the government has been paying their salaries even before the month end, so I think government is trying,” he added.
Speaking on his one year in office, Yahuza thanked God and all those who supported him to succeed.
He said the institute had improved in great measures from what he met upon assumption of office, especially with the accreditation of its diploma programme.
“I tried to build on what has been achieved and I tried to add value to what I met on ground, we thank God because virtually all sectors of the mandate we have improved greatly.
“If we talk in terms of the activities of the institute, what’s mostly missing is the inability to publicise what we’ve been doing.
“We are a government organisation, accessing budget which is the peoples money, you need to tell government what you have been doing and how you do your programmes.
“I think in the last one year, the institute has increased the tempo of its activities, in terms of capacity building, working tools and human capacity development.
“Primarily, the accreditation of our diploma course are some of the achievements we recorded in the last one year,” he said. (NAN)
