Adedayo Akinwale and Udora Orizu in Abuja
The House of Representatives made a U-turn in its earlier stand when it promised to work with the under fire services chiefs to end the war against Boko Haram insurgents and other criminal elements in the country.
The House, had last week, called on President Muhammadu Buhari to sack the service chiefs following their failure to address the security challenges confronting the country since 2015 when they were appointed by the president, adding that they have adopted same strategies that have not yielded any positive result.
The House made the call following the adoption of a motion of urgent public importance on the “Need to Curb the Incessant Attacks of the Boko Haram Insurgents in the North-east Zone” moved by the Chief Whip of the House, Hon. Mohammed Mongunu, and 14 others.
However, after a closed-door meeting with the service chiefs and the Inspector-General of Police (IG) Mohammed Idris, the House said that while it can suggest the sacking of the chiefs, it was left to President Buhari to relieve them of their duties.
Before the meeting went into a closed-door session, the Speaker of the House, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, told the service chiefs that Nigerians are on the necks of their representatives over the security situation in the country.
The Speaker stated this at the meeting of the joint House Committees on Defence, Army, Navy and Air Force with the Chief of Defence Staff, Chief of Army Staff, Chief of Naval Staff and the Chief of Air Staff.
Gbajabiamila said that while the service chiefs were doing a lot, the anxiety among Nigerians was enough reason for the military commanders to redouble their efforts, challenging them to take the battle to the criminals.
He stated: “I thought I should be here to encourage everybody that we’re all on the same page. We all know the situation in Nigeria today, we can’t hide from it, we can’t shy away from it, we cannot pretend that it doesn’t exist.
“We spent practically the whole day on Wednesday (January 29) discussing the security situation in Nigeria as expected. Simultaneously, the Senate was doing the same thing without us comparing notes.
“So, it was a natural reaction to what was going on in the country today. Back home, our constituents are on our necks. People are dying every day, they are dying callously in ways that you can only find in countries without security forces. But we know that you guys are doing a lot.
”We must think outside the box; we must take the battle to these criminals whatever they are. Like I said at the State House the other day, Nigerians are anxious, but I do understand the limitations of the Armed Forces.”
The Speaker, who commended the service chiefs, as well as men and women of the Armed Forces for doing their best and sacrificing their lives for the country, said the House would continue to engage the armed forces to find a lasting solution.
“This is another one of those meetings, engagements, which we said would be continuous. We said it the last time. It’s going to be continuous to find out exactly what’s going on, what the issues are, what the problems are, and hopefully get some commitments from you,” he said.
The Speaker expressed hope that moving forward, things are going to get better, stressing that the basic issues confronting the armed forces are funding, equipment, and recruitment of personnel.
He said he believed that the committee is well equipped to handle the issues, which he described as government’s priority, and the priority of the House.
Gbajabiamila said that it is a major legislative agenda of the House, noting that it must be addressed frontally, squarely and whatever needs to be done should be done.
Meanwhile, briefing journalists after the closed-door meeting, the House Committee Chairman on Defence, Hon. Babajimi Benson, said that the meeting went well, as they were able to get first-hand information on what is going on and what the issues are.
He added that they deliberated extensively with the service chiefs and they will report back to parliament what they were told.
Benson said: “We were to a large extent satisfied with what they said. Like I said, we are also going to table what they said before parliament. We are going to discuss; we are going to have a very robust discussion on how to assist, to end this war.
“Military issues are not things we should discuss in public but they raised a lot of issues that we must all sit down as Nigerians and discuss. One of them is that there is probably an international dimension to what we see. There is ISIS, there is ISWAP.
“These are things that we need to discuss in a very classified manner. But what we want Nigerians to know is that we are committed to them 100 per cent, to see that we assist the military and the Armed Forces and ensuring that this matter is put to an end within the shortest possible time.”
Asked if the House was making a reversal of its earlier call for the sack of the service chiefs, Benson stated: “It is not a U-turn but the most important thing that Nigerians want is the security of their lives and for their properties to be protected. That is the meeting we are having today. Sacking the service chiefs is what we can suggest, but it is a function of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces; the buck stops at his table.”
Asked if neighbouring countries are fuelling the security crisis in the country, he revealed that it was part of their discussion, stressing that, “there could be some truth in that.”
