Stakeholders chart path to Nigeria’s survival
Nigerians are tired, sack security chiefs now, elders task Buhari
Doosuur Iwambe, Abuja
Stakeholders have again expressed concern over the rising state of insecurity across the country, saying that Nigerians are tired of the seeming inaction of President Muhammadu Buhari in addressing the situation.
To this end, the elders under the aegis of Conference of Concerned Nigeria Elders have reiterated their calls on the president to sack the service chiefs for efficient security management in the country.
This call was contained in a statement jointly signed by Prof. Tunde Banjo for South West, Dr Achike Nwachukwu for South East, Barr. Jackson Spiff for South South, Alhaji Baba Usman Funtua, North West, Prof. Shehu Bulama for North East and Dr. Isaiah Terhila for North Central zones, respectively.
While emphasizing that the growing state of insecurity across Nigeria necessitated their call, the elders regretted that the inability of the security chiefs to contend insecurity since their appointments had portrayed the All Progressives Congress (APC), led government in bad light.
The elders under the aegis of Conference of Concerned Nigeria Elders tasked the president to see reasons with the overwhelming calls by majority of Nigerians as well as recent resolutions of the two chambers of the National Assembly for the sack of the service chiefs for efficient security management in the country.
Expressing concerns over the adamant stance of the president in relieving the security heads and replacing them with those they referred to as “efficient hands”, the elders insisted that it was time for President Buhari to act to save the lives of Nigerian citizens and their property.
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Particularly the elders said, they found the president’s inaction over sack of service chiefs and implementation of some far-reaching resolutions of the National Assembly on insecurity very disturbing.
“We found President Muhammad Buhari’s inaction over the sack of the service chiefs and other recommendations on security very disturbing and abnormal hence, we passionately appealed to him to rethink and save the country from further loss of lives and property.
‘’We issue this statement to state our position on a pertinent national issue that has become embarrassing to our dear country and which has put us to shame even among our immediate brothers in the West African sub region.
“It is the issue of security of life and property which is deteriorating daily, and which President has deliberately refused to act according to the demands of Nigerians.
“We wish to categorically say that it is not normal for a whole country to be speaking with one voice that the service chiefs should not only be sacked but also that the entire security architecture be re-jigged, and President would remain adamant and less concerned.
‘’Nigerians are tired of the alarming insecurity in the country and the seeming inaction of President in addressing the situation’’, the statement added.
The elders who expressed fears that Nigerians may resort to self-help if nothing was done urgently, insisted that those responsible for actions or inaction, which has heightened the insecurity, must go to give way to effective hands injected into the system.
wondering why the country’s fight against insecurity had taken unnecessarily long, the elders fumed:”Who knows if there are invisible hands out there in the service frustrating the fight against insurgency and insecurity in the country deliberately due to the continued stay of the service chiefs?”
“We appeal to the president to hearken to the call by majority of Nigerians as reflected in the country’s parliament recently that it’s time for him to do the needful”, the statement read.
They regretted that the president’s action had caused what they considered as serious career stagnation in the Nigeria Military.
