Insecurity: It Is Time To Try New Hands – Northern Elders Tell Buhari

An appeal has gone out to President Muhammadu Buhari to sack the current service chiefs as events clearly show they are not capable of tackling insecurity plaguing Nigeria.

The appeal was contained in a statement by the Coalition of Northern Elders for Peace and Development who lamented that the current state of insecurity in Nigeria has negatively affected other sectors including economic and socio-political activities.

The Coalition’s National Coordinator, Engr. Zana Goni who signed the statement warned that if the President failed to take necessary action, they will mobilize Nigerians against the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) as the 2023 elections draw close.

The statement lamented that killings, banditry and other crimes have gone on unchecked in the North and other regions of the country for too long.

“The inability of the service chiefs to change the game against terrorists, bandits and kidnappers threatens the existence of the region despite the heavy investment made by the president to ensure restoration of peace.

“As we write this to present our plight to the public, there is no school opened to academic activities in the region, except perhaps in Maiduguri metropolis of Borno State. Farmers can’t go to farms anymore especially in the North East, fearing our concerns of severe famine if the situation is not immediately addressed.

“Also, markets, buying and selling besides other economic activities have been brought to a total halt as a result of the activities of terrorists, bandits and kidnappers.

There is equally no social activities anymore in the region as people preferably stay in their various houses now to avert being prowled on by the adversaries, “the statement said.

“Until we change the security architecture, nothing meaningful will be achieved in the war against insecurity,” it claimed.

“The current service chiefs have tried so far but it is obvious they are now bereft of new ideas and zeal to change the game against adversaries, hence the need for them to leave the centre stage of security management to younger officers with fresh ideas” the statement noted.

They, however, commended the recent appointment of Mohammed Buba Marwa as the new chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).