Insecurity: Northern Governors, NASS Call On President Buhari To Sack Service Chiefs |The Source

By Akinwale Kasali

Governors from the Northern Region has joined the league of those asking President Muhammadu Buhari to remove his Service Chiefs office.

Before now, a couple of them had individually called for a change in the leadership of the military. But the brazen attack on the convoy of one of them, Borno state Governor, Dr. Babagana Zulum, has forced a collective call for The sack of the Service Chiefs.

Its forum – The Northern Governors Forum condemned last Wednesday’s attack on Zulum’s convoy, ­  describing the act as callous and reprehensible.

The attack but home, and forced them to admit the truth that the  state of insecurity in the Nigeria has escalated to an almost uncontrollable level.

The Chairman of the Forum­, and Governor of Plateau, Simon Lalong, conveyed the feelings of the Governors in a statement by his Director of Press and Pub­lic Affairs, Dr Makut Macham.

He said the attack on the Zulum’s convoy on his way to Baga in Kukawa Local Gov­ernment Area of the state was an act to frustrate his efforts in ensuring the well-being of the vulnerable in the state.

The governor expressed concern that Zulum was at­tacked while on the way to dis­tribute palliatives to Internally Displaced Persons for the Sal­lah celebration.

Also, the Minority Caucus of the House of Representa­tives has expressed concern over the attack on Governor Zulum by in­surgents, saying that the sad incident has again reinforced the urgent need to review the nation’s security architecture.

Ndudi Elumelu, Minority Leader in a statement on Friday, urged the President to implement the recent res­olution of both chambers of the National Assembly asking President Muhammadu Buhari to sack his Service Chiefs.

Lalong said the incident was a desperate attempt by crimi­nal elements to sabotage Zu­lum’s efforts toward reducing the sufferings of IDPs who had been traumatised by terrorists.

“This regrettable attack shows the desperation by en­emies of peace and humanity at large to jeopardise all efforts towards making life easier for victims of violence in the state over the years.

“The Northern Governors Forum strongly condemns this attack and stands with Gov. Zulum who has demonstrated courage in personally reaching out to people in need despite the dangers.

“We urge him not to be deterred as he keeps working with security agencies to pro­tect the lives and property of the people,” he said.

Elumelu, in the statement also noted that the attack on the state governor and other dastardly activities of the in­surgents in various parts of the nation have further reinforced the urgent need to inject new hands with fresh ideas to han­dle the nation’s security archi­tecture.

His words: “The worsening security situation in the country under the current Service Chiefs has reached an unbearable state to the extent that insurgents have the temer­ity to attack an armed convoy of a state governor.

“This is more so with the in­sistence by Governor Zulum of compromising of security system in the area, allegedly creating opening to the attack; a position that validates the call for immediate reorganising of the nation’s security architecture.

“The entire nation is distressed by the incessant mind­less killing of our citizens and pillaging of defenseless com­munities by insurgents, ban­dits and kidnappers, which have brought indescribable agony, anguish and torment to innocent Nigerians.

“We, the opposition lawmak­ers hereby in the strongest terms, restate the call to Pres­ident Muhammadu Buhari to honor the resolution of the National Assembly and im­mediately remove the Service Chiefs and bring in new hands to effectively confront the secu­rity challenges confronting our nation.”

Even though the President has expressed reservations, at least two  times, on the performance of the Service Chiefs, and condemned the attack on Zulum, he is not likely to remove them soon.

Buhari’s Service Chiefs are the longest Service Chiefs in Nigeria. He has extended their tenures three times, atimes, to a subtle murmur within the Military.

The opinion by most people is that they have become war-weary and bereft of new ideas to tackle the insurgents.

Recently, the Senate passed a resolution asking Buhari to remove the Service Chiefs from office, but it attracted a rebuke from the Presidency, reminding the Lawmakers that they were crossing the redline.”It is the President’s prerogative to appoint or sack them. He should not be pushed”, the response from Presidential Spokesperson, Femi Adesina, hinted.