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| The Senator representing Borno South, Ali Ndume |
Senator Ali Ndume, who represents Borno South Senatorial District, has disclosed details of his closed-door meeting with President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, saying their discussions focused on security and the economy, which he described as Nigeria's most pressing challenges.
Naija Brain reports that Ndume spoke to State House correspondents shortly after the meeting on Thursday.
The senator said President Tinubu demonstrated his commitment to tackling insecurity by holding a meeting with the nation's service chiefs before receiving him.
"I had an appointment for 3 pm, but I had to wait because the President was in a security meeting. As you can see, the service chiefs came in. That means the President is sitting up," Ndume said.
According to him, military operations against bandits have intensified in the North-West, while counter-insurgency efforts in the North-East have resulted in the elimination of several insurgent leaders and the surrender of many fighters.
He also noted improvements in the South-East, stating that separatist-related violence had reduced significantly.
"The South-East issue is not as before, and that is one area where we need to commend the President, the Chief of Defence Staff, the Army and other security agencies for what they are doing," he said.
Ndume further commended the decision of the 19 Northern governors to establish a regional security trust fund, describing it as a positive initiative that would enhance collaboration between the Federal Government and state governments.
"You don't leave security entirely to the Federal Government. If the governors are contributing resources, they should work with existing security institutions. The more coordinated the effort, the stronger the response," he added.
On the economy, the lawmaker urged the Tinubu administration to strengthen coordination of its intervention programmes to ease the hardship faced by Nigerians and reduce the cost of living.
"We have all it takes. It is just that we need to coordinate our efforts. Once Nigerians see the efforts of the government, they will appreciate them," he said.
Ndume also revealed that he advised the President to communicate more frequently with Nigerians through regular national broadcasts, arguing that direct engagement would boost public confidence in government policies.
"I told Mr. President that he should speak directly to Nigerians. People expect their leader to tell them what is going on instead of leaving others to speak on his behalf. That is very important," he said.
According to the senator, President Tinubu welcomed the suggestions and agreed on the need for regular consultations on national issues.
Ndume stressed that addressing Nigeria's complex challenges requires collective input, noting that no single individual can solve the country's problems alone.
"A country like Nigeria must have problems, and the President alone cannot solve all the problems. He needs people that can share ideas with him because two heads are better than one," he said.