Aminu Tambuwal, the Governor of Sokoto State, has asked the military chiefs to act honourably by resigning their appointment amid the worsening insecurity if President Muhammadu Buhari refuses to sack them.
Noting that governing the country and protecting lives and property is not rocket science, he stated further that the Buhari-led Federal Government should admit failure in the area of security.
In the same vein, elder statesmen, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, Alhaji Tanko Yakasai and Dr Junaid Mohammed, also backed Tambuwal’s position that it’s high time the military chiefs resigned.
Adebanjo argued that the President should also have resigned given the way the insecurity problem had festered under his watch.
Speaking at a webinar organised by the Emmanuel Chapel, themed, ‘Rebuilding our lives: A case for hope and determination to succeed, Tambuwal explained that it was ironical that security agencies were short of personnel even when millions of Nigerians ready to serve were roaming the streets.
The webinar was also attended by banker and former President of the Nigerian Stock Exchange, Mr Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede; a former Vice-President of the World Bank, Mrs Oby Ezekwesili; former Emir of Kano and ex-governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Lamido Sanusi, and legal practitioner, Prof Konyinsola Ajayi (SAN).
Given the rising insecurity in recent times, there have been calls from different quarters, including the National Assembly, for the removal of the service chiefs, comprising the Chief of Defence Staff, General Gabriel Olonisakin; Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar; Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai and the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ibok Ekwe Ibas.
In one of the many attacks on Nigerians, no fewer than 43 farmers were killed by Boko Haram insurgents in Zabarmari village in the Jere Local Government Area of Borno State on November 27.
Among several other attacks on innocent citizens in addition to kidnapping, banditry and armed robbery that have become prevalent across the country, over 300 pupils were kidnapped in Kankara, Katsina State on December 11.
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Speaking on the issue of insecurity at the webinar, Tambuwal said:
As far back as June 2018, I made my opinion known about our service chiefs and the Inspector-General and I called for the rejigging of the security architecture.
There is definitely a need for the service chiefs to go, either they are asked to go by the President who appointed them or by themselves being honourable enough to say we have done our best. It’s clear; even the Commander-in-Chief has said it not one or twice that their best is not enough.
They should be honourable enough to say, Mr President, we have done our best, our best is not enough, you have adjudged our best not to be good enough, we take a bow, appoint a new set of people that would take charge.
No one of us is indispensable. No single individual has the monopoly of knowledge of how to address the challenges we are facing as a nation, more so with insecurity, especially with the fact that they have been tested over the years. The same set of people and we have seen the outcome of their efforts.
