Babangida spoke a day after he and former President Olusegun Obasanjo issued a joint statement decrying the deteriorating security situation in Nigeria and urged the government to utilise the “ample opportunities” available to dialogue with the insurgents.

He said yesterday that the government had called upon people like him who had once ruled this country to come together toward charting a course for lasting peace.

“The president has called on us who were once head of government to come together toward working out modalities for lasting peace in the country,” he said.

He said the invitation by the government informed his first meeting with former president Olusegun Obasanjo in Abuja last week.

He, however, declined to make further comment on the last meeting and the agenda for subsequent meetings, saying doing so was tantamount to pre-emptying the forum.

“I am confident that in no distance future the present security challenge will be an issue of the past, because the federal government has started taking proactive measures towards the restoration of peace in the country”.

Babangida appealed to Nigerians who have meaningful contribution to make for addressing the present security predicament to come forward and do so.