Adedayo Akinwale, Udora Orizu in Abuja and John Shiklam in Kaduna
The Arewa Youth Assembly (AYA), has told President Muhammadu Buhari, that the two things he needed to do in the immediate to contain growing insecurity were to seek foreign help in the fight against terrorists and also sack his National Security Adviser, Babagana Monguno.
In a statement on Monday in Kaduna, the group said, “Available evidence points to the fact that our numerous Generals without war experience can’t fight the ragtag terrorists, who have taken charge of rural areas and are now threatening the nation capital, including Mr President and Governor el-Rufai with kidnap.”
The statement signed by Mohammed Danlami, spokesman of the AYA, also called on Buhari to immediately sack Babagana Monguno, the National Security Adviser (NSA) “due to obvious failure of strategy and counsels emanating from his office.”
The group alleged that, “some saboteurs whom the President trusted with power, appear to be systematically handing over Nigeria and even Mr President to terrorist as it was in Afghanistan.”
The statement said the recent spate of attacks and killings in Abuja, the nation’s capital, “which ought to be the last place to fall in the case of any war, shows that things have fallen apart and terrorist elements seemed to be reigning supreme in the land.
“The Assembly urged Mr President to seek foreign help in his bid to make Nigeria a safer place, as available evidence point to the fact that our numerous Generals without war experience can’t fight the ragtag terrorists, who have taken charge of rural areas and are now threatening the nation capital, including Mr President and Governor el-Rufai with kidnap.
“Nigerians cannot continue to fold their arms and watch their loved ones being abducted or killed with little or no effort from the powers that be,” it said.
The AYA warned that if the situation continued unabated, it would be forced to mobilise its members in the Northern part of the country to defend themselves against the criminals.
“By this, we wish to reiterate our earlier call on Mr President to sack the NSA, who has run out of ideas with immediate effect, failure which we will be forced to occupy the NSA’s office in the next 14 days,” it stated.
Insecurity: Protesters Demand Immediate Sack of Monguno, Magashi over Alleged Abdication of Duties
Meanwhile, scores of aggrieved persons under the aegis of the Guardians of Democracy and Development Initiative (GDDI), had also called on President Buhari to relieve Monguno and the Defence Minister, Maj. Gen. Bashir Salihi Magashi (Rtd) of their duties for allegedly abdicating in their duties.
The protesters, who commenced the march from the Abuja Unity fountain, brandished several placards and banners with inscriptions like: “Defence Minister is incompetent, sack him now”, “Magashi must go”, “We say no to incompetent NSA and Defence Minister”.
Speaking on their behalf, Comrade Danesi Momoh threatened to join those calling for the resignation or impeachment of President Buhari if he fail to heed their call to sack Monguno and Magashi.
“We wish to start with the statement credited to the National Security Adviser himself, Maj. Gen. Babagana Monguno (Rtd), where he was quoted as saying: ‘people are getting tired and are beginning to gravitate into other means of self-help. Truth is that Nigerians are not just getting tired; we are suffocated, frustrated, threatened, apprehensive and completely uncertain about our safety and that of our loved ones.
“We cannot continue this way, and both the National Security Adviser (NSA) and the Minister of Defence Know that. We have had to tolerate a National Security Adviser, who has no record of achievement in his seven (7) years in office. And right under his supervision, intelligence has been ignored (as has now being exposed by the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives). There is no proactivity and no evidence of any practical input from him in addressing National Security before its total collapse status.
“On the part of the Minister of Defence, he has no innovation, inspiration and the right professional touch to lead such important Ministry at a critical time like this. In fact, he appears too frail, tired and out of touch with contemporary security realities and defence strategies. Thus he has no business being there. Mr. President should show mercy to the citizens and deploy a better hand and brain.
“Recall the damning revelation of the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Ahmed Idris Wase, (which was previously referred to) that forty-four (44) Security Reports were forwarded from the Department of State Security (DSS) and other Intelligence Agencies, alerting Mr. President of an impending attack on the Kuje Custodial Centre.
“That statement remains unchallenged till date. And the question is: ‘who coordinates the intelligence from the security agencies? And who processes them and see to their implementation?”
