The Senate has asked President Buhari to immediately sack the service chiefs and appoint fresh hands to nip in the bud the insecurity in the country.
The Senate made the call yesterday following last Saturday’s beheading of 43 farmers at Koshobe, Borno State, by Boko Haram.
Senators at yesterday’s plenary questioned why President Buhari could not marshall the country’s security agencies to protect the people.
According to the senators, President Buhari has breached the 1999 Constitution as amended, having failed to adhere to Section 14(1) of 1999 Constitution which has to do with the government and the people as well as stipulates that the Federal Republic of Nigeria shall be a state based on the principles of democracy and social justice.
The call, for the umpteenth time, came barely hours after Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, said on Arise TV programme Monday night that the service chiefs will remain in office as long as the President was satisfied with their performance.
The Senate’s call came on a day the House of Representatives was thrown into an uproar over resolution of members to invite the President to give an explanation on the security situation in the country, in the aftermath of the massacre of farmers in Borno.
This is even as Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, yesterday, insisted that Boko Haram had been badly degraded, saying it could only now attack defenceless people.
The Senate’s call elicited the support of Yoruba socio-political organization, Afenifere, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Arewa Consultative Forum, ACF and Coalition of Northern Groups, CNG.
The senators argued that Nigeria will not move forward if the lives and property of Nigerians were not secured.
Resolutions of the Senate were sequel to a motion entitled “Beheading of 67 farmers in Borno by Boko Haram insurgents: Need for Urgent Decisive Action,” sponsored by Senator Kashim Shettima ( APC, Borno Central), co-sponsored by 17 other senators.
According to the Senate, the time has come for the Chief of Defence Staff, General Abayomi Olonisakin; National Security Adviser, NSA, Major-General Mohammed Babagana Monguno; Chief of Army Staff, Lt.General Tukur Yusuf Buratai; Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar and Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Marshal Ibok- Ete Ibas to go because they have outlived their usefulness.
It also disclosed that 67, and not 43 farmers were killed in very gruesome manner by the insurgents
The lawmakers adopted these resolutions after almost an hour-long deliberation on insecurity across the country and the recent killing of 43 farmers in Borno State.
Presenting the motion, Senator Shettima called for urgent, decisive action against Boko Haram, even as he said the primary responsibility of government was protection of lives and property of citizens.