The senator representing Borno south, Ali Ndume, has said President Bola Tinubu cannot solve Nigeria’s challenges alone, adding that the president needs people who can offer ideas to address the country’s security and economic problems.

Speaking with State House correspondents in Abuja on Thursday after meeting Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, Ndume said he had requested an audience with the president, who granted the meeting immediately.

“I actually sought the audience, and I was immediately granted it. The president was also looking forward to meeting with me,” he said.

“We used to have this interaction before, but somehow it stopped. Now, the interaction has resumed.”

Ndume said he regularly engages with the president to offer suggestions on tackling the country’s numerous challenges.

“Normally, when I come here, it is to offer my ideas as a Nigerian on how to help solve some of the many and complex problems facing this country,” he said.

“We had a very fruitful and useful discussion, and the president even insisted that we should do this regularly, not necessarily in the office where people are always rushing in and out, but in a more relaxed setting, perhaps at his residence, so we can think together about how to solve some of these problems.”

The senator said no president could single-handedly resolve Nigeria’s problems.

“He needs people who can share ideas with him because, as the saying goes, two heads are better than one. You have your ideas; I have mine. When we put them together, we can come up with solutions,” he said.

Ndume said insecurity and economic hardship featured prominently in his discussions with Tinubu.

“That is exactly what we discussed today, particularly on insecurity, which is troubling the country, and on the economic hardship, which is a global issue caused by certain factors. We discussed how best to address these challenges,” he said.

The former senate chief whip said he left the meeting satisfied that the president had listened to his concerns.

“I feel fulfilled because I have spoken my mind, and the president is also aware that many people, myself included, are not comfortable with the current situation,” he said.

Ndume said he advised the president to engage Nigerians more directly instead of relying on others to communicate on his behalf.

“That is what I told Mr President: he should reach out more. I also advised him, and he promised to look into it, to speak directly to Nigerians,” he said.

“People expect their leader to tell them what is going on, instead of allowing others to speak on his behalf. It has been a while since he has spoken directly to Nigerians, and that is very important.”

The lawmaker said Tinubu demonstrated his commitment to tackling insecurity, noting that the president had just concluded a meeting with the service chiefs before receiving him.

“Even today, I had to wait because my appointment was for 3 pm, but there was a security meeting. As you can see, the service chiefs came in, which shows that the president is taking the matter seriously,” he said.

The senator said sustained military operations had intensified pressure on bandits and other criminal groups.

“There has been a lot of pressure recently on bandits in the north-west, the north-east, and elsewhere,” he said.

“Some of their leaders have been taken out, and some of their commanders surrendered yesterday. If this momentum is sustained, we are confident that the problem will eventually end.”

Ndume added that the government should also pay greater attention to the welfare of Nigerians by addressing the rising cost of petrol, food and transportation.

The senator backed recent calls for tougher action against terrorists and welcomed the decision of the 19 northern states’ governors to establish a regional security trust fund.

“I have said this before. You don’t spare a bandit or a terrorist. Once you identify a terrorist, you should deal with him, because if you don’t kill him, he will kill you. So, there is nothing to argue about there,” he said.

Ndume said the governors’ initiative would complement the efforts of the federal government and security agencies.

“You should not leave the responsibility only to the federal government. Now that they have agreed to contribute funds, those institutions should collaborate with the existing security framework,” he said.

“Two heads are better than one. In our own way of saying it, the more, the merrier. If you have more people on the ground pressing the fight, that is a good thing.”