Insecurity: Elders Task FG On Foreign Help


By Blessing Bature-Akpakpan

Concerned by the current state of insecurity in the country, some elders in the country under the aegis of Coalition of Nigeria Elders for Peace and Good Governance (CONEPAGG), have urged the federal government to seek foreign help to tackle the worsening situation.

The elders, whose call was necessitated by the latest killings of innocent farmers in Borno and Sokoto states by both insurgents and bandits, asked President Muhammad Buhari to save Nigeria of further loss of lives of its citizens by not only immediately removing the service chiefs but also completely rejigging the entire security architecture.

They stated their positions in a statement issued Tuesday and signed by Engr. Zana Goni, National Coordinator, Prof. Adebola Adeboye, Cordinator South West , Dr Ugwuanyi Emeka, Cordinator South East, Sheik Ibrahim Mohammed Cordinator North West, Barr. Peter Shima,as Cordinator North Central; Hajiya Zainab Bulama as Cordinator,North East and Dr Solomon Dagogo as Cordinator of South South region,respectively.

The elders said their action followed an emergency meeting they convened to air out their feelings and present their demands to the Nigerian authorities as well as appeal to the necessary international bodies for possible intervention in the country's worsening security situation.

They equally appealed to the United Nations Security Council to intervene in Nigeria's growing deteriorating security situation, asking the international security body to consider stiff sanctions against any member state that refuses to sell arms to the country.

"As concern Nigerians with love for our dear country, we had to urgently summon this emergency meeting to appraise the current security situation and proffer possible solution.

They condemned the gruesome killing of farmers in Borno State by insurgents, describing the action as inhuman and barbaric and condemn in the strongest possible terms ever the barbaric, senseless,and gruesome killing of over 43 Nigeria farmers in Borno State", they said,adding:" Our hearts are with the families and people of Borno State."

The elders also took a swipe at the presidential spokesman, Garba Shehu over a statement credited to him to the effect that the farmers died of carelessness, demanding that he be sacked immediately.

"We also described as unfortunate, the senseless, irresponsible and insensitive statement credited to Mallam Garba Shehu, the spokesman of the president who made statement suggesting that the innocent farmers died out of their carelessness.

" Nothing can be more callous and insensitive as this statement at a time the whole country is mourning. We demand his immediate sack by Mr President to serve as a deterrent to people who always put his government on a bad light,"the statement read.

According to them,"The insecurity in Nigeria particularly in the North has taken an alarming and dangerous dimension and we strongly believe that now is the time to act swiftly or we will have ourselves to be blame."

Food security is already threatened, inflation and recession are already terribly with us. If nothing is done within these few days, we Nigeria may collapse totally,"they added.

They said:"Our demand as Nigerians with repute and equal stake like other well meaning Nigerians in the country from the executive are: Immediate sack of the current service chiefs and replace them with younger generals with federal character coloration that have the zeal and commitment to change the game on insecurity immediately."

The other demands, according to the elders,is "total overhaul of the entire intelligence and security architecture of the country for effective results; increase in budgetary provision and early release of funds by the Federal Ministry of Finance to security sector because we discovered that lack of timely release of funds to all the security agencies has hampered operation and quick response."

"Mr President should as a matter of national urgency, put up programmes in collaboration with the private sector that will create at least 10 million jobs for our teaming youths in the country," they added.

They called on the National Assembly to stop treatment of the 2021 Budget until President Buhari sacks the service chiefs, saying the president's retention of the security chiefs in spite of the resolutions of both chambers,asking for change was an affront on the supremacy of the legislature.