As reactions continue to pour in over the killing of 43 rice farmers in Borno State by Boko Haram insurgents on Saturday, a Civil Society Organisation, CSO, Coalition in Defence of Nigerian Democracy and Constitution, CDNDC, Sunday, demanded the sack of Service Chiefs and Heads of Department of State Security and Nigeria Police Force.
The demand was made in a statement signed by the Convener, CDNDC, Ariyo-Dare Atoye, where the group called on the government to immediately put a stop to the ongoing deradicalisation programme and halt freeing of the so-called repentant Boko Haram members and prosecute them.
The Statement reads in part, “At this point, Nigerians must unite and be resolute in sounding the plain truth to Gen. Muhammadu Buhari that he should either with immediate effect sack the service chiefs, heads of the DSS, Police and overhaul the entire security architecture of the country or tender his resignation letter.
“The people of this country are pained and have totally lost confidence in the service chiefs, and by extension in the Buhari regime, and we can no longer watch and allow the inefficiency of these men and the incompetency of the President to destroy what is left of our country.
“Also, the government must immediately put a stop to its terribly flawed deradicalisation programme and halt the freeing of the so-called repentant Boko Haram, and ensure that these criminals and vampires are prosecuted and jailed.”
However, the statement called for a protest in the North East region over killings, attacks, displacements, and misery across communities despite security presence.
“This is also an appeal to our brothers and sisters in the North to end the indulgence and organise protests and rallies to demonstrate their frustration and disappointment in the regime and we are very ready to support them to advance this cause.”
The statement also added that “Let no one is deceived, this is a leadership problem and since Gen. Buhari has irredeemably failed to provide the leadership that he promised the people of Nigeria when he was campaigning, the National Assembly should be courageous enough to set conditions for impeachment – act, sack the service chiefs or be impeached.”
The statement called on National Assembly to commence the process of restructuring the political system with the hope that it will address challenges facing the nation.
“Without further hesitation, the National Assembly and all the political leaders at the national and sub-national must immediately commence the process for restructuring Nigeria, which can to a large extent help to address the issue of insecurity and bad governance”, it pointed.
Vanguard