ABUJA — Worried over the escalating security
situation in the country, the House of
Representatives,, yesterday asked service chiefs
to immediately resign their offices or be sacked
by President Muhammed Buhari.

The House, in a resolution, said the Service
Chiefs have not been able to address the
security challenges plaguing the country since
2015 when they were appointed by the
President.

On its part, the Senate called on President
Buhari to, as a matter of urgency, sack the
Service Chiefs, who were appointed July 2015,
contending that that they have done their part
and at the moment, are out of ideas and have
overstayed their welcome.

Similarly, Speaker of the House of
Representatives, Mr Femi Gbajabiamila, has
described Amotekun, a South-West regional
security initiative and similar regional outfits,
as solutions to the raging problem of insecurity
in the country.

Reps asks service chiefs to resign
The Reps regretted that the security top brass
have adopted ineffective strategies that have
failed to yield positive results.

A motion by the Chief Whip of the House,
Mohammed Monguno (APC, Borno) and 14 others,
asked President Buhari to sack the service
chiefs if they failed to resign their positions.

Monguno, who expressed concern over the
growing blood-letting from attacks by Boko
Haram and the Islamic State West African
Province, ISWAP, insurgents in the North-East,
recalled that activities of the insurgents, were
drastically reduced earlier in Borno and Yobe
States, before the latest resurgence in attacks
on communities.

He said, “Recently, the insurgents have forced
the Nigerian Military to close traffic on the
Damaturu-Maiduguri Road for some days. The
Damaturu-Maiduguri Road is the only access
road from Maiduguri to other parts of Nigeria.”

Abubakakar Fulata (APC, Jigawa) in his
contribution, called for the withdrawal of
security personnel serving in the North East and
their replacement with new personnel, adding
that the long stay of the security personnel has
largely contributed to their inefficiency as they
were tired of remaining there.

Chairman, Committee on Army, Mr Abdulrazaq
Namdas (APC, Adamawa), said, the rise in
attacks by Boko Haram in the North-East and
increasing insecurity in across the country, was
troubling, but opposed the idea of removing all
the personnel currently serving in the area,
saying their experience was still needed to assist
those that will be sent to work there.

On his part, Francis Waive (PDP, Rivers), said
the issue of insecurity in the country was
general and needed to be addressed holistically
and warned that every Nigerian should be
concerned about what is going on in the country.

He however, asked the Service Chiefs to resign,
stressing that the President should take another
look at the Service Chief with a view to
replacing them with fresh hands who will bring
fresh ideas into the security system in the
country.

Beni Lar (APC, Plateau) argued that the North-
Eastern part of the country has gradually been
brought to a standstill with the resurgence in
activities of Boko Haram, stressing that the
lawmakers cannot sit back and watch as if
nothing was happening.

Tobi Okechukwu (PDP, Enugu), said the nation
needs to interrogate how it conducts the
business of security in the country, questioning
why the government should be investing heavily
on Trader Moni when there is no money to
adequately fund the security agencies.
Minority Leader, Mr Ndudi Elumelu in his
contribution suggested more investment in
equipment for the security agencies, stressing
that there was no way you can ask a policeman
to rescue you when he is poorly equipped. He
said there were lots of things going on in the
country which need urgent attention.

Sada Soli (APC, Katsina), argued that the
President was not being told the truth about
developments in the north east.

In amending the original motion, Francis Waive
asked the House to demand the immediate
resignation of the Service Chiefs, while some
other members said the President should
immediately sack them.

But the Chairman of the House Committee on
Defence, Jimi Benson(APC, Lagos), said the laws
allow the President to keep the Service Chiefs
for as long as he wishes, but expressed concern
over recent developments in the country.

He said: “The National Security Adviser is from
the North East and cannot get to his village.
The Chief of Army Staff is also from the North
East and cannot get to his village. The Chief of
Air staff too. That speaks volumes of their
ability.

“But the solution lies in the hands of the
President. I don’t know why he has kept them
since 2015 when they were first appointed. He
should decide whether to continue to keep them
or not. I believe the resolution here will prick his
conscience.”

The House resolved that the leadership of the
House and indeed the National Assembly should
hold a tripartite meeting with the President and
the Service Chiefs with a view to finding lasting
solution to the security challenges.

Senate toes similar line

Toeing the same line, the Senators called on
President Buhari to as a matter of urgency
sack the Service Chiefs who were appointed July
2015 against the backdrop that they have done
their part and at the moment, they are out of
ideas as they have overstayed their welcome.
Declare national security emergency, Senate
tells Buhari

For six hours yesterday, the security challenges
in the country was the subject of discourse by
the Senators, who came to the conclusion that
the security infrastructure has failed in the
country and that President Buhari, should as a
matter of urgency declare a national security
emergency.

The Senate also summoned the Inspector-
General of Police, IGP, Mohammed Adamu to
appear before it next Wednesday to brief them
on the security challenges, architecture,
methods employed so far and the way forward
towards addressing the problems.

The Senate also set up a 17-member ad- hoc
Committee with the Senate Leader, Senator
Abdullahi Yahaya (APC, Kebbi North), as
chairman, saddled with the responsibility of
engaging the Security Agencies and reporting
back to the Senate in two weeks time.

The committee which will also engage the
National Security Adviser, Major-General
Mohammed Monguno on the implementation
modalities of the December 2019 national
security strategies, will also engage the National
Security Institute to discuss their operational
structures, funding, equipment and staff
disposition with a view to reviewing the national
security architecture to make it more responsive
in tackling the myriad security chalienges facing
the nation and the people.

The committee will also produce a draft
implementation modality/blueprint on the ways
and means of tackling the current securty
challenges for the consideration of the Senate.

‘Fire service chiefs now’

Senators also called on President Buhari to as a
matter of urgency sack the Service Chiefs,
against the backdrop that they have done their
part and at the moment, have ran out ideas as
they have overstayed their welcome.

According to the Senators, the time has come
for the Chief of Defence Staff, General
Abayomi Olonisakin; National Security Adviser,
NSA, Major-General Monguno; Chief of Army
Staff, Lt. General Tukur Buratai; Chief of Air
Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar and Chief
of Naval Staff, Vice Marshal Ibok- Ete Ibas to
give way for fresh brains to man the country’s
security system.

Particularly in their remarks, Senators Betty
Apiafi, Matthew Urhoghide, Emmanuel Bwacha,
Binos Yaros, Elisha Abbo, Abba Moro, Olamilekan
Adeola, Sani Musa, Bamidele Opayemi, Rochas
Okorocha, Francis Alimikhena, among others
called for the immediate sack of the security
chiefs in order to give room for new ones who
may have new ideas.

Also prominent during the debate was the call
for State Policing, if the present security
challenges must be addressed in all its
ramifications because the present central
security infrastructure has failed the country.

On his part, Senator Abbo who called for the
sack of the Service Chiefs said, “ We have never
had it bad in this country in the area of
security. The Service Chiefs appointed in July
2015 and according to report by the Budget
Office, from 2012 to 2014, N4.5 trillion have
been received by the Military and there are
grumblings within the Military and silence is no
longer golden. The Service Chiefs have run out
of ideas.”

Split over state Police

There was however, a sharp division among
Senators who advocated State Policing and those
who kicked against it. Senators who supported
the urgent need for the establishment of State
Policing for effective policing in the country
were Senators Olamilekan Adeola, Ibikunle
Amosun, Oluremi Tinubu, Smart Adeyemi,
Ibrahim Shekarau, Matthew Urhoghide,
Olubunmi Adetunmbi, Tanko Al-Makura, Sandy
Onor, among others.

Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ovie
Omo Agege; Senators Gabriel Suswam and
Danjuma Goje, Adamu Aliero, and Abubakar
Yusuf, , kicked against the establishment of
state police.

From 11.30a.m., to 4.25p.m., the Senators took
time to debate on the motion entitled,
“Security Challenges: Urgent need restructure,
review and reorganise the current Security
Architecture.”

The motion was sponsored by the Senate Leader,
Senator Yahaya Abdullahi, and co- sponsored by
105 Senators.


https://www.vanguardngr.com/2020/01/insecurity-fire-service-chiefs-now-senators-reps-tell-buhari/

If not for d rubber stamp nature of our current legislooters, this news piece would have been a strong call for d sack of d ineffectual security chiefs

Rubber Stamp political miscreants.

Fear of the real problem? Who are the service chiefs answerable to? This is treatment for symptoms, instead of dealing with the real disease!

Good I've said this times without number sack service chiefs period

The whole presidency acts like one which is being blackmailed..

Na today?

Buhari will just be looking at them

So vanguard don't have journalists who can write what one can just read and understand.

Very disjointed news.

Anyways.

Which senate President did they say make that call?

The one that is happy to be called a rubber stamp?

The senate president that doubles as a presidential spokesperson?

Rubber stamp senate led by the fat clown from Yobe wants to form.

Give them two days, everything goes back to normal chop-I-chop with the ExecuThieves