As the tide of insecurity continue to increase in the country, prominent Nigerians have called on President Muhammadu Buhari to look beyond Nigeria to solve the problem.
Former Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki and lawmaker representing Kogi West Senatorial District, Smart Aderemi have decried the rate of insecurity in the land.
Dr. Saraki lamented that It is obvious that President Muhammadu Buhari and the All Progressives Congress (APC) government need help to tackle insecurity.
In a series of tweets on Tuesday, Saraki decried the disturbing rate of insecurity in various parts of the country, especially in Anambra, Kaduna, Yobe, Niger, and Lagos States where acts of violence were reported in one day.
He noted that the present security situation in the country was proof that the Federal Government has been overwhelmed and needed assistance from all.
The former Senate President, therefore, urged the government to seek help wherever it could be found, saying the issue has gone beyond what it could handle alone.
He told President Buhari that calling for help at a time like this does not imply weakness, stressing the need to bring together all former Presidents and Heads of State, as well as serving and former chief justices, presiding officers of the National Assembly, and heads of the security agencies.
Saraki also advised the President to call upon leaders of the private sector, development partners, and friends of the nation in the international community, among others to find solutions to the problem.
According to him, the meeting should hold expeditiously and be followed by immediate actions, while the government should recognise that it is not the time to play politics with the lives of Nigerians.
Saraki, a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), stated that his suggestions were made out of genuine concern, adding that members of the opposition were ready to support the government to find solutions to the security challenges in the country.
Also joined the calls for the President to seek help even beyond Nigeria’s soil to address the menace of insecurity was the lawmaker representing Kogi West Senatorial District, Senator Smart Adeyemi.
The lawmaker, while contributing to a motion on insecurity on Tuesday on the floor of the Senate, described the present situation as worst instability.
“This is the worst instability we are facing; in fact, this is worse than the civil war. We cannot pretend that we are capable of confronting the situation in our hand,”
“The nation is on fire, the President must rise to the occasion. We cannot keep quiet any longer.
“It has gotten to a point that we cannot sleep with our two eyes closed. Our children are not free,” Adeyemi said.
Read the full advice to the APC government by the former Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki:
Yesterday, Nigeria experienced one of the saddest days in recent memory. All in one day, from Anambra State to Kaduna, Yobe, Niger, and Lagos States, critical insecurity issues were recorded and reported.
Hour after hour; breaking news after breaking news, we saw numerous unacceptable reports of violence, kidnapping, terrorism, and the systematic breakdown of law and order in many parts of the nation. This should not be so.
We also read the statement of the Niger State governor, where he expressed how helpless the government has become, and how thousands of people have been displaced in his state. He also lamented how the efforts of the Federal Government have not yielded concrete results.
We also received sad and disturbing reports that Mainok, a town on the Damaturu-Maiduguri highway was invaded on Sunday by the insurgents who unabashedly went on a killing spree — targeting our brave soldiers and innocent civilians alike.
In Kaduna State, two more innocent students that were kidnapped from Greenfield University were killed by their abductors. While, an unspecified number of students have now been abducted from the Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi, in Benue State. All in one day.
As we reel from the multiple tragedies, my family and I will continue to pray for all the affected families and communities. We will lend them our full support as we all bind together to get past this difficult time. May God grant them the fortitude and strength.
However, it is obvious that President Muhammadu Buhari and the All Progressives Congress (APC) government need help. They have been overwhelmed by the situation and they sure need assistance from all.
In this regard, I urge Mr. President to seek help wherever it can be found. This matter has gone beyond what the government can handle alone. The President should know that calling for help in our present situation is not a sign of weakness.
I want to reiterate that Mr. President needs to bring together all former Presidents and Heads of state; serving and former: Chief Justices, Presiding Officers of the National Assembly and Heads of Security Agencies.
Mr. President should also call upon leaders of the private sector, our development partners, friends of Nigeria in the international community and all others who can help in finding solutions to the problem at hand.
The meeting must hold expeditiously and must be followed by immediate actions.
I know that there will be people that believe that the fact that this suggestion is coming from a source outside government is a good reason for the President to ignore it. The attitude this time must be different. This is not a time to play politics with Nigerian lives.
The security of lives and properties is the primary duty of government; therefore, it must be taken seriously. My suggestion here is an appeal made out of genuine concern with what is going on in our dear country.
In the democracy that we practice, the institution charged with holding the executive accountable is the legislature. In this regard, I strongly call on my colleagues in the National Assembly to be more assertive in finding solutions to this issue of insecurity.
l need to make it clear that they will not be helping the administration if they do not become more insistent and decisive in their approach to getting this security crisis tackled immediately. Doing this cannot be logically interpreted as antagonising the executive.
Just as treating the issue in a mild manner does not amount to co-operation. The National Assembly must stand up and put Nigeria first before any other considerations. It is by doing this that they can genuinely help both the government and their constituents.
The leaders of the ruling party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) also have a vital role to play. They must do all that is necessary to help the administration to get solutions to this national crisis. This is a time for them to be part of the search for the solutions.
Even those of us in the opposition party recognise the fact we can only exist if we continue to have a country. Thus, we are willing to cooperate with the government in finding solutions to this problem.
Additionally, our former leaders, I am sure, are ready, willing, and able to assist the government with their wealth of experience.
With their active role in combating the COVID-19 crisis, even the private sector has shown that if called upon, at any time and on any issue, it is ready to help solve this crisis.
Our friends in the international community have also demonstrated their willingness to help us out.
However, all these actors will not jump into the arena without the government facilitating their intervention. The government needs to call on them before this problem consumes all of us.
At this point, words and press statements are not enough. We need to see action.
Therefore, I appeal to Mr. President to take the bull by the horn. He must act to stem the tide of this violence that is threatening to tear our country apart
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