INSECURITY: Senators Join Call For Sack Of Service Chiefs

Some Nigerian senators have joined in the call for the sack of service chiefs by President Muhammadu Buhari.

The senators made the call during Wednesday’s plenary just as their counterpart at the House of Representatives resolved to demand the resignation or sack of the service chiefs.

THE WHISTLER had earlier reported that the issue of rising insecurity in the country, especially the worsening activities of Boko Haram insurgents in the northeast, had dominated the discussions of the senators during Wednesday’s plenary.

A rowdy session had erupted in the upper legislative chamber when the Senate Minority Leader, Eyinnaya Abaribe, called for President Buhari’s resignation, saying the president had allegedly failed in his primary duty to protect lives and property.

While some senators called on Buhari to sack the service chiefs for lacking ideas to tackle the country’s insecurity, others suggested the establishment of state police to address banditry, kidnappings and other vices.

They made contributions to a motion moved by the Senate Leader, Yahaya Abdullahi, on the “Nigerian security challenges: Urgent need to restructure, review and reorganize the current security architecture.”

Senator Betty Apiafi, representing Rivers West senatorial district, said: “They [the service chiefs] have done their bits and their tenure has expired. They are illegally occupying the seat. It will be good for the government to allow the security chiefs to go and bring in new people to add vigour to the fight against security,” she said.

Apiafi urged her colleagues and other politicians stop using police as private security.

“We are complaining about the police not being enough. I think all of us and Nigerians should actually stop using police as private security. Let the police people go out and do their jobs.”

Senator Adeola Olamilekan, representing Lagos West senatorial district, urged the Red Chamber to review the recommendations made from the Security Summit in 2018 and implement them.

Senator Elisha Abbo, representing the Adamawa North Senatorial District, said the country has “never had it this bad” in the history of insecurity.

Abbo said the security chiefs have done their best “but have run out of ideas.”

“There’s grumbling within the military. Yesterday’s survivors are today’s victims and today’s victims are tomorrow’s survivors.

“Mr President should change the security apparatus. And if we need foreign help, we should not be ashamed of asking for help,” he said.

The Senate subsequently resolved among others that President Buhari should declare a national emergency on security.

The upper chamber also resolved to summon the Inspector-General of Police, Mohammad Adamu, to appear before it next Wednesday to brief the lawmakers on the concept of community policing and other security issues.

Among the resolutions was the setting up of a 17-man Ad-hoc Committee saddled with the responsibility to engage the security agencies and report back to the Senate after two weeks.

The committee will be chaired by Senate Leader Abdullahi Yayaya while its members include senators Enyinnaya Abaribe, Sabi Abdullahi, Ali Ndume, Aliyu Wamakko, Dauda Haliru, Kashim Shettima and Bala Na’Allah.

Others are George Sekibo, Ibrahim Gobir, Kabiru Gaya, Gershom Bassey, Stella Oduah, Ibikunle Amosun, Abba Moro, Yahaya Abdullahi Yayaha and Suleiman Abdu Kwari.