N’Assembly Leadership Meets President This Week over Insecurity
Adeboye leads protest as CAN demands overhaul of security architecture Military helmsmen rally retired colleagues on Nigeria’s Unity
The leadership of the National Assembly is to meet this week with President Muhammadu
Buhari over the tenure of military service chiefs and the rising insecurity in the country, a reliable source told THISDAY yesterday.
Senators and House of Representatives members had last Wednesday called for the resignation of the service chiefs, failing which the president should remove them over the rising insecurity in the country.
When the president met with the military chiefs a day after, the nation was told that the request of the legislators was not discussed, indicating disregard for the legislature's concerns.
"I am shocked that they said our resolution was not discussed," the source, who is in the leadership of the National Assembly said, adding: "We will meet with the president this week over the issue."
According to him, "It is clear that we cannot continue to do the same thing and expect a different result."
There have been widespread
concerns over the escalating insurgency in the North-east and worsening insecurity in the country in spite of the efforts of the military to rein in the insurgents.
Many policy analysts have argued that the service chiefs appear spent and need to be laid off for new officers with fresh ideas.
Meanwhile, the embattled military service chiefs weekend rallied retired senior officers of Course 27 of the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) on national unity, urging them to disregard those fanning embers of disunity in the country.
This is coming as the Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has described the killing of the Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Michika Local Government, Adamawa State, Pastor Lawan Andimi, as a ploy by the insurgents to create a divide between Christians and Muslims in the country.
However, the service chiefs have urged the retired generals to work in harmony towards national cohesion.
Speaking yesterday in Abuja at the 40th Anniversary celebration of the 27th Regular Course of NDA, the Nigerian Army’s Chief of Policy and Plans, Lt. General Lamidi Adeosun, who represented the Chief of Defence
Staff, Chief of Army Staff and other service chiefs, said it was imperative for the retired generals to work together and speak with one voice to promote national unity.
He called for a coordinating centre for all alumni associations of the NDA in order to harness their contribution to national development.
"We cannot work together separately. If we don't lead together, people who have selfish interests will be singing songs of separation.
"Most of your ideas are respected on national security and statecraft. No outsider can love us more than ourselves. This is a food for thought for all of us.
He stated that "there is no coordinating centre for alumni associations of NDA. Let's look for a way to establish a national platform of the alumni of NDA so that it will serve as a coordinating centre to exchange ideas about this country".
Adeosun, who is of the Course 34th Regular Course of the NDA said in deference to his retired senior colleagues: "I am not supposed to talk when my seniors are talking. I have not seen their backlight not to talk of their break light.
"I am representing the Chief of Army Staff, Chief of Defence Staff and the service chiefs".
He said he had read a lot about the Chairman of the occasion, Major General Zamani Lekwot, who was the commandant of the NDA in 1980 when the Course 27 enrolled in the military institution.
According to him, he met the retired general for the first time at the occasion, which held Saturday night at the Nigerian Defence College, Abuja.
"I have read a lot about Major General Zamani Lekwot (rtd) but I am meeting him for the first time," he said.
In his remarks, Chairman of the occasion and Board of Trustees Chairman of Retired Army, Navy and Air Force Officers Association (RANAO), Lekwot, said retired senior military officers still have a lot to offer the nation.
“RANAO is the in thing. We offer credible advice to the government in power. We have something to offer the system. If we put our hands together, the nation will benefit”, he said.
In his remarks, Chairman of the Executive Committee of the 27th Regular Course, Rear Admiral SI Alade (rtd), said in the three-day programme of events marking the 40th anniversary celebration, members donated materials to Kuje Correctional Prison, Nigerian Defence Academy, Defence Police Officers Wives
Association (DEPOWA).
He said the course started in 1980, where 154 members were selected, but 140 reported.
Alade disclosed that not all the 140 passed out, adding that while others have retired, 33 members have passed on.
“With gratitude to God, all course members have since retired with the last man standing taking his exit in 2018.
“We are retired but not tired. We will continue to contribute our quota to national security,” he said.
On his part, a one-time Director of Military Intelligence, Brig-General Ibrahim Sabo (rtd) urged concerted efforts to stem the tide of insurgency.
“If you have anything to offer to solve the insurgency problem please do so. Some of us bleed from our heart when we see what is going on. We need to come together to help our colleagues”.
Also speaking, a former Military Administrator of Niger State, Brig. Gen. Lawan Gwadabe (rtd), called on the federal government to identify the “source of arms and recruitment” of the insurgents in order to tackle the menace.
The course produced 16 army generals, 12 Navy admirals/ Commodores and 10 officers of Air rank on the course. The course also produced 21 colonels or its equivalent 19 lieutenant colonels/equivalents, nine majors/equivalent, and 16 captains/equivalent and below.
DHQ: Killing of CAN Chairman, Ploy to Create Religious Divide
Meanwhile, the Defence Headquarters has said that the killing of the CAN chairman in Adamawa State was a ploy by terrorist group, Boko Haram, to create a religious divide between Christians and Muslims in the country.
Defence Spokesman, BrigadierGeneral Onyema Nwachukwu, told THISDAY that the terrorists must be seen as enemies of the nation.
“The killing of the CAN chairman is very sad and disheartening. It is a callous act on the part of Boko Haram but we must be very wary of the actions of the terrorists. This is a dangerous strategy to create a division.
“It is devised to create division in this country, to create a religious divide between the Christians and the Muslims. We must be very wary of this as a nation”, he said. Nwachukwu said: “we must see the terrorists as the enemy of the nation and not as a Muslim or as a Christian because this is one of
the gimmicks of Boko Haram to create that divide and once that is done of course what happens? This country will go to pieces so we must be very wary of this. It is very important”.