Nigeria: Senators lament insecurity, threaten to remove President

Nigerian senators have lamented failure of President Muhammadu Buhari to address the country’s insecurity.

While registering their indignation on Tuesday December 15, 2020, the senators reiterated that they have the legal authority to remove the President as enshrined in the constitution.

The senators intend to take drastic measures, including the suspension of the 2021 budget, which will force the president to implement their resolution seriously.

They disclosed this during a discussion tabled by senator Bello Mandiya, representing Katsina South, on the abduction of 350 secondary school children.

They stated that they do not see the benefits of current security chiefs, they need change.

The senators also resolved not to have any relationship with the nation’s security chiefs.

They also rescinded their decision to summon defence minister, the army general, and the heads of the security agencies over the insecurity plaguing the country.

They condemned the attack on the Government School of Science, Kankara, Katsina State, which resulted in the disappearance of several students.

The senators further advised the President to review and implement the recommendations and amendments to the report presented to him by the Senate Committee on Nigerian Security Challenges.

The Chairman of the Senate Committee on the Treasury, Mathew Urhoghide, said the legislature could make the president curb insecurity.

Urhoghide said, “We stood up here to say that the service chiefs should be changed. The more you say, the more annoying it is to the President and he will never change.”

Another senator, Sani Musa, said, “There is a need to draw the attention of the President that enough is enough; the service chiefs should go.”

Senator James Manager said, “Let the public be aware that we have done all that is there to be done”

“We have handed necessary resolutions for the executive to implement, not one item has been implemented and we are talking about and we are inviting the service chiefs; for what?”

Senator Gabriel Suswam said, “There’s nothing more important for government to do than securing the lives of citizens of this country and at all times.”

Senate President Ahmad Lawan advised his fellow senators not to get discouraged or get tired of talking.

He said, “As a parliament, we should never get tired of talking about issues that affect our people.”