Northern elders, under the auspices of Coalition of North-East Elders for Peace and Development, yesterday, have expressed their disappointment on the New Year-day broadcast of President Muhammadu Buhari.
In a statement signed by its national coordinator, Engr. Zana Goni, the North-East elders noted that the continued retention of the service chiefs many years after expiration of their retirement date in service was not only unconstitutional but had also weakened the morale of military personnel and the front line troops.
According to the social political group, they expected the President to yield to the desire of majority of Nigerians by announcing the sack of security chiefs, over what it described as worsening security problems in the country.
The also argued that the continued stay of the security chiefs was not adding value to the nations security management team, regretting that the rising wave of insecurity in the North was being downplayed by the media, saying many people are dying daily in the North as a result of banditry and insurgency but the situation is being underreported.
The group, which appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to listen to the voice of reason by relieving the security chiefs of their offices, said such action, coupled with increment in the Defence budget, were the only ways to go for Nigerias security situation to regain its glorious place in history.
They advised President Buhari to try different hands in the security architecture, saying there were more efficient and tactically-trained officers in the military with valour to confront the adversaries headlong and end the nations over-a-decade-long insecurity, especially the insurgency and terrorism in the North.
The Group also noted that the trend where all the current security chiefs come from the North was morally wrong, as according to them, the development may also have emboldened criminals, bandits, among others.
There must be immediate change of guards that reflect the federal character principles if the war against insecurity is to be taken seriously, it stated.
