Presidency says Buhari not ready to sack service chiefs

Amid rising tension and insecurity across Nigeria, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, on Sunday, February 16, 2020, stated that President Muhammadu Buhari is not ready to dismiss the country's Service Chiefs.

With Nigeria witnessing a rise in the level of insecurity in recent times, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe (PDP Abia-South) had asked the president to resign for failing to tackle the security challenges confronting the country.

In view of the incessant attacks across the country by Boko Haram insurgents, herdsmen/farmers clashes, banditry and kidnapping, a cross section of ethnic-based groups, amongst others, have been mounting pressure on Buhari to replace the service chiefs in order to give new impetus to the security challenges the country is facing.

Amid resignation calls, Buhari summons security meeting with service chiefs. [Bashir Ahmad/Twitter] Pulse Nigeria

Reacting to the sack call of the service chiefs, Shehu, according to The Nation, noted that "the removal or sack of service chiefs does not stop all of what we are experiencing. Whether we like it or not, we are in a war situation. The President and the Commander-In-Chief is seeing things that others cannot see. This is why he deserves the benefit of the doubt."

He added, “How can they say the President does not care? His heart is there on how to secure and protect this nation. He is being briefed adequately by the service chiefs and others and he gives directives as the C-In-C.

“It is people who don’t know what the government is doing that are saying the President does not care. They think security is like a market place where everybody is an expert.”

Addressing the clamour for new ideas and strategy, Shehu explained that the strategy is constantly being reviewed, and nothing is fixed.

“The President is a military man; he has been working very hard with others on multiple solutions to the challenges at hand," he added.

The presidential spokesman, however disclosed that about 1,000 military hardware bought with military budget and special funds from the presidency are on the high seas, adding that the Buhari government is hopeful of taking delivery of 12 A-29 Super Tucano fighter jets from the United States.