The House of Representatives has again called on the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), to end the current security challenges across the country, charging him to act like the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces and protect lives and property.
This is just as the Deputy Speaker, Ahmed Wase, said replacing the former service chiefs yielded no results.
At plenary on Wednesday, a member of the House from Sokoto State, Abdullahi Salame, moved a motion of urgent public importance titled, ‘Need to set up National Task Force to address prevalent insecurity in Nigeria.’
Salame prayed the House to “Urge Mr. President as a matter of urgency to set up a National Task Force on National Security to address rampant cases of banditry, insurgency, and kidnapping.”
He noted that the motion was a compilation of previous resolutions of the House as there was “no implementation by the Executive.”
Wase noted that while the sponsor of the motion was indirectly asking for the service chiefs’ sacking, he recalled that the National Assembly had made the call and the president implemented the resolution.
Wase said, “The service chiefs were sacked. Did we get the desired results? Precisely, I will say no. During the appointment of the last Chief of Defence Staff (Gen. Leo Irabor) or Chief of Army Staff (Lt.-Gen. Yusuf Yahaya), I remember (that) about 30 officers were retired – those (whose ranks were) ahead of the person. And these were fine officers. Is that what we are seeking on the floor (of the House) again? I don’t think that is the direction that we should go.”
While corroborating Wase, the Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila, noted that the Constitution does not empower the House to legislate on military operations, especially the proposed creation of a security task force.
Wase also noted that the Armed Forces already had various special operations and task forces across the country’s geopolitical zones, stating that the parliament could only advise the President on security matters.
Though Gbajabiamila faulted Okechukwu’s prayer calling on Buhari to “take every measure to save Nigerians from the present precarious security situation,” saying it is vague, the House eventually granted it via voice.