INSECURITY: We Are Tired…Of Buhari – Senators Lament President’s Disregard For Wise Counsel

The abduction of over 300 students of the Government Secondary School, Kankara, Katsina State, seems to have provided members of the Senate the opportunity to air their frustration against President Muhammadu Buhari’s style of leadership, which according to them, shows disregard for wise counsel.

At plenary on Tuesday, the Senators took turns to condemn the Kankara schoolboys’ abduction by Boko Haram insurgents and aired their frustration over President Buhari’s continued disregard for various resolutions of the Red Chamber on the need to sack the country’s Service Chiefs and improve security in the country.

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Katsina South Senator and member of the majority All Progressives Congress (APC), Bello Madiya, had cited order 42 and 52 in moving a motion for the Red Chamber to debate on the abduction of the students.

Not even a plea by the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, that legislators should not “disrupt” the Buhari administration could calm down the obviously angry senators.

Lawan had said, “This Ninth Senate is a Senate that has designed and devoted itself to working for Nigerians. We work here in a very bi-partisan passion.

“Three parties are represented in the Senate with the APC being the majority party, the PDP being the minority party, and the YPP being the minority-minority party. We have done fairly well as an assembly.

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“We are faced with challenges but these are surmountable challenges. To our colleagues who have just joined us, incidentally at the moment it is a draw.

“The National Assembly is made up of human beings and we can make mistakes as human beings but this Ninth Assembly will not cause any disruption in government,” he said.

But the first senator to speak, Sani Musa of the APC, clearly did not agree with the Senate President’s appeal for calm, as he blamed President Buhari’s refusal to sack the country’s Service Chiefs for the worsening security situation in the country, especially in the northern region.

Musa, who represents Niger East senatorial district, said there was need for the Senate to, “draw the attention of Mr. President that enough is enough, these Service Chiefs should go.”

Musa regretted that despite approving funds yearly for the military to address insecurity in the country, the situation had continued to deteriorate.

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“I am being very honest and talking from the heart. Enough of this thing. I wish the National Assembly will take drastic action on this. We have been appropriating; where are these funds going to?” he queried.

Senator James Manager, representing Delta South Senatorial District on the platform of the minority Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), said the Senate had done all it needed to do as an arm of government regarding insecurity in the country, but noted that President Buhari had failed to implement some of their recommendations.  

“We are tired. Every day one, two, three persons. There are so many unanswered questions. What a country! Something has to be done. What do we do aside talking here? Mr. President, help the children to be rescued,” said Manager.

On his part, Senator Gabriel Suswam of the APC, said it was high time the Senate took, “a desperate action” as it could not continue to pay “lip service” to the issue of security in the country.

“We have reached a stage where we must become desperate. Let us take actions that Nigerians will know that we are here addressing their hopes, fears and aspirations. We must address the people the way it is,” added Suswam.

Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, representing Ekiti Central Senatorial District, said the Red Chamber was “becoming helpless”.

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He recommended that the lawmakers should address Nigerians as a parliament to let them know that they were trying their best, but that “nobody seems to be listening to us,” adding that, “What is the problem in removing Service Chiefs?”

Responding to contributions, the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, said he could see “the level of frustration” of the lawmakers, but urged them not to become weary of making recommendations to the Executive arm on how to address the nation’s security challenges.

“We as a parliament should never get tired of talking about issues that affect our people. We have our own limitations because of the structure of how governance must be carried out. We must never get tired of reporting what is happening to our people.

“We should think outside the box and continue to engage with the Executive arm of government until the appropriate actions are taken.

The upper legislative chamber subsequently resolved to: “Condemn in very strong terms the attack on Government Science School, Kankara, Katsina State which led to the abduction of over 300 students.

“Urge the President and Commander in Chief of Armed Forces, President Muhammadu Buhari, to consider and implement the recommendations of the Senate ad-hoc Committee on Nigeria Security Challenges dated March 17th 2020, and Senate’s resolution therefore as holistic response to the mounting security challenges across the country.”

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