Two leading opposition parties in the country, the Action Congress of Nigeria and the Congress for Progressive Change, on Saturday said President Goodluck Jonathan must address the incompetence of his administration.

The ACN and the CPC said this while reacting to the sacking of the National Security Adviser, Gen. Andrew Azazi (retd.) and the Minister of Defence, Dr. Haliru Bello.

They said the President must go beyond the sacking of the two and address the malaise of his government as part of efforts to solve security problems in the country.

On the sacking of the duo, the CPC, in a text message to one of our correspondents by its National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Rotimi Fasakin, said the President should take far-reaching decisions on security problem in the country.

According to him, the changing of the NSA was “an infinitesimally small aspect of resolving the endemic incompetence of the administration.”

He said, “Impoverishment of the citizenry, which is the core philosophy of this administration, is the greatest threat to the nation’s security.

“There is a burgeoning army of unemployed youths roaming the streets. Due to their many years in the unemployment market, they are demoralised, lacking in confidence and unemployable by potential employers!”

Fashakin added that the President should have sacked the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke.

He asked, “What is the minister of petroleum resources still doing on that seat, despite the heart-rending indictment in the fuel probe report?”

Also, the ACN National Chairman, Chief Bisi Akande, said the country was at a crossroads.

Akande said, “Jonathan should do what is right. He should do anything that will make Nigeria safe. This is what we support.”

He maintained that it was shocking the Peoples Democratic Party led government had not sacked Azazi for saying that the party was the cause of the high level of violence in the country.

In a statement by his spokesman, Lani Baderinwa, Akande said the PDP hated the truth.

Similarly, two Senior Advocates of Nigeria, Prof. Itse Sagay and a former National President of the Nigeria Bar Association, Chief Olisa Agbakoba as well as the Campaign for Democracy supported the sacking of the minister and the NSA.

Sagay and Agbakoba said their removal was a welcome development.

In separate telephone interviews with our correspondents, the lawyers noted that a change was needed in the office of the NSA.

“The former NSA was not effective – there was a need to replace him with somebody else who, from the information available to the president, will do a better job.

“He has failed consistently and in government, if somebody fails, he should be replaced with somebody who can do a better job,” Sagay said.

On his part, Agbakoba said, “I interpret the appointment of Dasuki to mean that it was important to have someone that is familiar with the area where the problem is coming from.

“He is a retired army officer and he is from the right royal family in the North – the problem requires deep understanding of the situation.”

Continuing, Agbakoba said, “While the reason for Azazi’s removal is unclear, I think Sambo Dasuki possesses the right background to tackle the problem.

“He is a Muslim, he is a Northerner and he has a military background.”

He noted that the Boko Haram menace “is a very intricate problem.”

“It has religious and political connotations.

“He (Dasuki) has the relevant skills to tackle the problem”, Agbakoba added.

Also the President of the Campaign for Democracy, Dr. Joe Okei-Odumakin, said the sacking of the two men was long overdue.

She, however, said that it was not enough to address the security challenge facing the country

A former Commissioner of Police for Lagos State, Alhaji Abubakar Tsav, also said the Jonathan’s action was commendable.

He said, “The sacking of Gen. O Azazi is welcome and long overdue.

“The NSA should be felt and not heard. He was too vocal but inefficient.

“He was indirectly trying to incite the public against the government.

“Instead of advising the government, he turned his advice to attack on government.

“He was disloyal and did nothing to stop Boko Haram insurgency.

“He was a weak and talkative NSA and therefore, unfit to hold that position.”

http://www.punchng.com/news/tackle-govts-incompetence-opposition-parties-others-tell-jonathan/