New NSA, Dasuki, meets with Sambo, declines comments

New National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd), on Tuesday held a closed-door meeting with Vice-President Namadi Sambo at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Issues relating to government’s expectations from the new NSA were said to have formed part of the meeting that lasted about 30 minutes.
Before leaving the villa, Dasuki also went into the office of the Chief of Staff to the President, Chief Mike Oghiadhome.
It was not clear whether he met with Oghiadhome.
Dasuki however declined to grant interviews when approached by State House correspondents.
“You want to talk to me? Not now, not now,” he said.
President Goodluck Jonathan on Friday appointed Dasuki, a former ADC to former military President Ibrahim Babangida, to replace Gen Owoye Azazi as the NSA.
Azazi was sacked alongside the Minister of Defence, Dr. Haliru Bello.
Jonathan during his presidential media chat on Sunday justified the sacking, saying it was borne out of the need to change tactics in order to confront the Boko Haram sect.
Meanwhile, Borno State Governor Kashim Shettima has insisted that the wave of terrorism in some parts of the country will not lead to the nation’s break-up.
He said this after a session of the Senate Retreat on Tuesday in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.
He said, “Our leaders at the various levels of government must also be reminded of the fact that it is not that easy to dismember Nigeria along religious lines. As we speak, of the six states in the South-West, four of the governors are Muslims, and in these states, we have substantial number of Muslims, tell me, are we going to throw them in the lagoon?
“In the North too, we have substantial number of indigenous Christians; are we going to kill all of them? Nigeria is too big for any group of persons to hold it to ransom. However, as leaders, we must have the sincerity of purpose, commitment and political will to tackle these problems.”
President of the Senate, David Mark, in his address at the opening of the retreat on Monday, warned that the country’s unity was threatened by the continued attacks on churches.
He noted that the patience of the victims could no longer be guaranteed, calling for a decisive action to stop the bomb blasts.
Shettima however commended the Senate for focusing the retreat on national security.
He said, “A situation where a crisis broke out in a state, and you treat the state, as if it is not part and parcel of the federation, called Nigeria, in no distant future, the crisis in one state, could spread to other states, and by which time it becomes difficult to control immediately.
“If you recall, even before I was sworn in as a governor, I expressed my willingness to toe the line of dialogue in resolving this matter. I even went as far as saying I was ready and willing to grant them amnesty.”