As Nigeria marks the 2020 Democracy Day, the Deputy Speaker of Cross River House of Assembly, Mr Joseph Bassey has decried the threat of insecurity to the peace and economic growth of the country.
Speaking with newsmen in Calabar, Cross River State capital, Hon Bassey said the recent killings in Borno and Katsina States were ‘painful’, adding that Security Chiefs in the country must rise up to the challenge and forestall further occurrences.
He pointed out that most Nigerians have been displaced from their ancestral homes due to the activities of bandits and Boko Haram, especially in some states in the North East of Nigeria.
The Deputy Speaker advised President Muhammadu Buhari to overhaul the Security Chiefs and bring in new hands with fresh ideas to tackle the insurgents.
Hon Bassey lamented that the security challenges in the country were getting worse, adding that a few days ago, insurgents stormed some communities in Katsina and Borno and killed innocent Nigerians.
He said, “I think there is a lot to be done in the area of security. The military and all relevant security agencies must rise and stop these insurgents from killing innocent Nigerians.
”In this country, we need to have a sincere approach towards dealing with matters of insecurity. The issue of killings across the country is taking another dimension and these should be a thing of concern to all of us.
“Nigerian soldiers are one of the most gallant military forces in the world when it comes to ground fighting; I want to urge the military to come out with new operational strategies towards handling this issue of bandits and Boko Haram.
He said it was pathetic that even under the COVID-19 pandemic, bandits were entering some communities to kill innocent Nigerians.
He further advocated for more funding for security agencies and the provision of modern equipment to aid their operations.
