Replace service chief now, northern elders tell Buhari

Northern elders say they are worried about the continued killing of innocent people in the North by bandits and Boko Haram insurgents.

The elders who spoke under the Coalition of Northern Elders for Peace and Development (CNEEPD) therefore insisted on the replacement of service chiefs with more vibrant and new ideas on how to tackle the lingering security issue in the country.

Many groups and institutions including the National Assembly have called for a change in the security architecture of the country with the sacking of the service chiefs.

The replacement of the service chiefs, according to the northern elders, is the best way for the President to begin a restructuring process of the security architecture urgently needed to restore order in the country.

The group also demanded an independent forensic investigation into the expenditure of the Armed Forces from December 2015.

The CNEEPD made the suggestions in a communique it released to journalists on Saturday after its meeting in Abuja.

The communique signed by Zana Goni, representing the North-East; Dr Mohammed Suleman for North-West and Prof. Ofa Afolabi for North-Central, expressed the elders’ worry “over the plight of Internally Displaced Persons and the communities in the North-East while calling on the government and international donors to as matters  of urgency, do more in addressing the medical, food and sanitation needs of the people affected by insecurity in the  region.”

Part of the communique states, “After exhaustive and painstaking deliberation by the entire executives and  members of Coalition of Northern Elders  or Peace and Development, in Abuja, Nigeria the forum unanimously resolved as follows: That the forum passed a vote of confidence in President Muhammadu Buhari and the 19 northern governors.

“That we note with deep concern the momentum at which the end SARS and insecurity protest is gathering by the day across the nation and wish to state categorically that it is due to frustration occasioned by the president’s deliberate refusal to restructure the security apparatus of the nation despite daily calls by Nigerians including the National Assembly to do so.

“That insecurity has links with all the problems Nigerians are facing today. “That we strongly condemn the killings,  harassments, and attacks of protesting Nigerians by some overzealous members of Nigeria police and some sponsored hugs in Abuja, Kano, Plateau and Bauchi states.

“That we call on the Inspector General of Police to urgently arrest the erring police officers and hoodlums responsible for the attacks.

“That we support in totality the continuous peaceful protests by Nigerians across the country over police brutality and call on the protesters to remain focused and peaceful.

“That we condemn the persistent insecurity in Nigeria particularly in the North, despite the huge investment so far running into trillions of naira to Armed Forces of Nigeria.

“That we call for an independent forensic investigation into the expenditure of the Armed Force from December 2015 till date.

“That we are deeply worried over the plight of the IDPs and the communities in the North-East and call on government and international donors to as a matter of urgency, do more in addressing the medical, food and sanitation needs of the people affected by insecurity in the region.

“That we call on Mr President to immediately sack the current service chiefs and restructure the entire security architecture of Nigeria.

“That we further call on Mr President to take immediate advantage of the ongoing protests and restructure the country’s security architecture.

“Finally, the forum call Nigerians from all works of life to continue to speak out against the insecurity and urgent need of its restructuring until Mr President acts.”