Dare Babalola
Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke has stated that Nigeria needs the help of the United States of America and other nations to defeat terrorism ravaging the country.
The governor’s position was continued in a statement signed by his spokesperson, Mallam Olawale Rasheed, and made available to NEWSTELLERS on Monday.
Adeleke appealed for renewed diplomatic engagement between the two nations, identifying it as a strategy to defeat insecurity in Nigeria.
“I appeal to the Presidency of the United States of America to support Nigeria to fully implement the recently developed national security strategy. The new strategy is comprehensive and capable of taking on the monster of banditry and terroristic killings in many parts of the country,” he said.
The governor who commiserated with families of victims across the northern region said the American intervention is a wake up call to rigorously implement new security measures and forceful counter- terrorism actions in partnership with diplomatic allies, adding that “we need help from the United States and others to solve the terrorism challenge.
“Nigeria suffers from unfortunate killings across Northern Nigeria which has claimed lives of many innocent citizens. We believe a high-powered engagement at the presidential level will particularly open to the American government the ongoing security operations, successes and challenges Nigeria is facing in the fight against terrorism.
“We need our international partners to expand their support for the Nigerian security agencies and its political leadership to face national security challenges. Peaceful interface between Abuja and Washington holds the key rather than military intervention by the American government”, the statement added.
Governor Adeleke further expressed appreciation for the Nigerian Presidency’s diplomatic efforts to ease tensions with the United States, while urging continued support for the government’s initiatives.
He emphasised the importance of addressing concerns raised by Western partners, particularly the US.
“This is the time to unite as a nation to support the national leadership to frontally address internal and external threats for the protection of the citizenry. This is the time to back the President to enforce the letters and spirit of the constitution in all facets of national life. We need peace, not war to deepen our democracy and protect our citizens,” the governor said.
