Elders in the country have, again, appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to sack the nation’s service chiefs and appoint new ones, regretting that their inability to contend insecurity, since their appointments, is portraying the federal government being led by the All Progressives Congress (APC) in bad light.
In a statement made available to Blueprint in Abuja Monday, 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, 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.
The statement reads: “We find President Muhammad Buhari’s inaction over the sack of the service chiefs and other recommendations on security very disturbing and abnormal hence, we passionately appeal 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.
“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 rejigged, and Mr President would remain adamant and less concerned.
“Nigerians are tired of the alarming insecurity in the country and the seeming inaction of Mr President in addressing the situation. Those responsible for actions or inaction which has heightened the insecurity must go and new and effective hands injected into the system.”
Insisting that they were worried over the state of insecurity which according to them, was not getting better in spite of the relentless efforts of the president to that effect, they feared that the ugly security situation may not guarantee food security in the country.
They said further: “The Conference of Concerned Nigeria Elders wishes to appeal to our dear President and Commander-In-Chief of the Armed Forces, President Muhamamadu Buhari to as a matter of urgency, sack the current service chiefs without further delay.
“Our position is because we have seen that the president may lose the support of Nigerians over the embarrassing security situation we are facing if he doesn’t act fast enough. We are very disturbed over the president’s continued refusal to sack them despite call by most Nigeria’s in the midst of the disturbing insecurity in the land including the home town of our president. No part of Nigeria is safe today.
“Mr President gets daily briefings on the security situation in the country by the security heads. However, most of those reports are not true reflections of the situation on ground. Already, there is low morale in the military over the continued stay of the service chiefs whose tenures in their various offices have since lapsed.
“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. We are in a democracy where any decision of government or leaders is taken from the popular view. Majority of Nigerians have since spoken in this regard and as a democrat, our president should listen.
“The president’s action had caused serious career stagnation in the Nigeria Military. The service chiefs are not indispensable. Nobody knows it all. They need to leave now and give room for younger ones with new ideas and vigour.”
