As the call made by the Senate minority leader, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe for the resignation of President Mohammadu Buhari continue to raise controversies in Nigeria, many stakeholders across the country, including those in Akwa Ibom State have expressed divergent opinions on the issue.
Senator Abaribe had last week asked for the resignation of Buhari as the president of Nigeria citing his (President Buhari) inability to address insecurity and insurgency in Nigeria.
Similarly, Members of the Senate and the House of Representatives in Nigeria also called for the removal of Service Chiefs as they have failed to proffer lasting solutions to the insecurity threatening the nation.
In reaction to these two burning issues in the country, some stakeholders in Akwa Ibom State, in an exclusive interview with DAILY POST correspondent stood behind Senator Abaribe, stressing that the change of government had become expedient as Nigeria, according to them had been thrown into a state of comatose.
Others, especially those known to be pro-APC, were of the opinion that such call was ill-motivated, made out of self aggrandizement and ignorance.
Some members of the Opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the state said the call was timely since the Chief
Security officer in the country had failed to protect the lives of citizens in Nigeria.
They added that the service chiefs have exhausted their ideas in finding lasting solution in tackling insecurity as emerging reports of security attacks have left much to be worried in the country.
The former Senator who represented the people of Uyo Senatorial district, Senator Anietie Okon in an interaction said Mr. President had to resign because of his outright show of incapacity in addressing the security issues ravaging Nigeria.
According to Senator Okon, “l stand with Abaribe. Whether we like it or not, the primary responsibility of every government is the protection of lives and properties and practically the president has failed in this aspect. Should a man who does not have full control of the 36 states of the country be allowed to remain to preside over the country? When some parts of Yobe and Borno are completely under the control of insurgents?
“In spite of all the killings in the country, the president said he was surprised. Was he sleeping? Instead of slumbering over the affairs of Nigeria, let him resign and continue in his private slumber.”
On the call for the removal of the nation’s service chiefs, Sen. Okon said such call was like placing the cat before the horse, noting that service chiefs are appendages to the president and the main issue is the removal of Mr. President.
He said keeping people beyond their constitutional brief and tenure is ulterior and an act of lawlessness, therefore, should not be allowed.
In his reaction, the state publicity secretary of PDP, Brr. Ini Ememobong who backed Senator Abaribe said the call was not only founded but consequential.
The publicity secretary admitted that terrorism and insurrection had become a global phenomenon but expressed dismay that president Buhari had not shown a level of commitment and concern in tackling the issue but merely announced his ‘surprise’ on number of people that died in the attack.
“Daily on national news, people are being reported killed. All that the president could do was to be surprised! Priests were killed, other innocent citizens murdered in cold blood? Yet the president is still surprised. Call for his resignation should not be a surprise.” He said.
On the sack of the service chiefs, Ememobong reasoned that if the security of Nigeria is no longer guaranteed, the total line up of service chiefs should be removed.
He said he was happy that the Senate and the National Assembly could be bold enough to advise the president on security issues.
But in a swift reaction, a former member of the House of Representatives and APC stalwart in Akwa Ibom state, Hon. Eseme Eyib described such call as misplaced priority and ignorance to the modus operandi of the law.
He said, “The call for the resignation of Mr. President looks like a show of ignorance of process of either impeachment or any act to remove the president by the constitution.
“There are constitutional provisions for the removal of president either on the ground of health or misconduct. The Senator who made this comment ought to have known the process of removal of Mr. President and why is he coming to the public domain for self posturing and aggrandizement? What has the president done? Resign on what grounds? We should go beyond shenanigans and begin to promote governance and not partisanship.”
On the call for removal of service chiefs, Hon. Eyibo said the security situation in Nigeria is not the issue of service chiefs.
He insisted that poor consciousness of an average Nigerian on security issue was the main cause of insecurity in the society and called on everyone to join hands with security agencies in tackling insecurity noting that security is everyone’s business.
“These people who are constituting security threats are residing in various 774 local government areas of the country, what role has the traditional rulers, religious leaders, local government chairmen and of course government at the sub national played? There is no Boko Haram person, a kidnapper or an armed robber who is not living in one house or the other in a local government. Are you not aware that those who are security threats go to churches, Mosques to donate money, some also get traditional titles?
“We must develop an orientation whereby security consciousness should become a part and parcel of creation of safety net. So, it has nothing to do with security chiefs, if you like change them ten times, without this security consciousness there is no headway.”
Eyibo insisted that in his assessment, the security chiefs, especially the Chief of Naval Staff have done well in tackling sea piracy and other security threats in the maritime corridor.
He said the relative peace and security enjoyed in the Niger Delta was as a result of proactive disposition of the chief of Naval staff whom may not go about blowing his trumpet.
According to him, “In my opinion, the security chiefs are doing well. The Navy has done well, the maritime corridor is well policed, they have checkpoints; are you not aware that the issue of piracy in the maritime corridor, theft, harassment, piracy have reduced as a result of commitment of the Nigerian Navy?
“We have never had it so good before in our maritime; I am speaking as a man from Riverine Area of the South south part of Nigeria. The issue of hot tapping- that is stealing of our crude oil through pipeline vandalization has been reduced minimally because of the strategy in monitoring. Also the evolution in that sector, the collaboration with the stakeholders had culminated into peace not only in Niger Delta but also in maritime corridor.
“If they say the service chiefs should be removed, that means we are going back to the black corridor.”
