The Anglican Bishop of Kaduna Diocese, Timothy Yahaya, and his catholic counterpart, Mathew Manoso Ndagoso, on Sunday backed the Northern Elders Forum’s call for the resignation of the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), over the spate of insecurity in the country.
The PUNCH had reported that the NEF on Tuesday asked Buhari to resign for allegedly failing to secure the country.
The forum made the demand in a statement by its spokesperson, Dr. Hakeem Baba-Ahmed. It was disappointing that after nearly seven years of being in office, Buhari still has no answers to security challenges across the country.
However, the presidency had since replied to the northern elders, describing them as failed politicians seeking cheap publicity.
But in apparent support of the NEF’s call for Buhari to quit the stage, the bishops in a separate Easter message to Nigerians in Kaduna said the right thing for the President to do was to resign over the insecurity across the country.
The Anglican Bishop noted that the right thing to do for a leader who could not perform was to bow out of office.
“I don’t want to discuss issues with the Northern elders because I am not a politician. But the truth about leadership is that there is morality in leadership. If you cannot deliver as a leader in a civilised climate, the right thing and best thing to do is to bow out,” Yahaya said.
The Catholic Bishop of Kaduna Diocese noted that it was hard to disagree with Northern elders’ position on the President.
According to Ndagoso, the only thing the people get each time scores of Nigerians are killed, maimed and abducted are empty assurances and reassurances of security by political leaders
“Given where we are right now in terms of insecurity and the government’s handling of the situation thus far, it is hard for one to disagree with Bulama Bukarti’s assertion that the Buhari government is incompetent, inept and careless and the Northern Elders’ Forum (NEF) that “his leadership has proved spectacularly incapable of providing security over Nigerians,” he said.
Security experts and the Civil Society Organisations have said that calling for the resignation of the President will worsen insecurity. The CSOs and experts, in separate interviews with The PUNCH, said the service chiefs should be sacked instead.
A security expert, Timothy Avele, said there was no guarantee that insecurity would be tamed if another President took over.
He stated, “Calling for the President to resign at this stage when he has a few months to go is a call for anarchy and can only worsen insecurity more than what we’re having now. What’s even the guarantee that the next President will do better in battling insecurity, especially if the same reactive methods are maintained by security agencies and the military?
Another security expert, Jackson Ojo, said the failure of the President to sack the service chiefs had cast doubt on his sincerity to fight insecurity.
He stated, “If you have a security guard in your house and armed robbers keep attacking your house won’t you sack him? Buhari’s refusal to ask the security chiefs despite the continued attack is an indictment on him. In normal climes, he does not need to be told. The reason there is hardship in the country is because of insecurity.”
Also, Kabir Adamu said the President would not resign despite its failure on insecurity, adding that the service chiefs must be held responsible.
He said, “The government has failed to stop the activities of non-state actors. We also have to consider that over 90 percent of those in the security sector are Northerners. The NEF should call on them to live up to expectations and more importantly, the President should sack those that have failed. President Buhari will not resign, but the least he can do is hold those in charge of our security responsibilities.”
The Convener, Northern Advocacy for Peace, Khalifa Shuaibu, said the attacks across the country, especially in the North-East and North-West regions were clear indications that the security agencies were incompetent and should leave or be made to leave.
“Rather than call for the resignation of the President, the service chiefs should go. It is disheartening that the enemies of the citizens are getting emboldened by the day. The bandits are becoming more daring and brazen.
“The service chiefs have not justified the billions of naira put into the security sector. Let the current security chiefs resign or be sacked for the safety of Nigerians.”
The coordinator, Northern Alliance Movement, Yahuza Getso, stated, “Where were these elders before now? His resignation a few months to the end of his tenure will not change anything as insecurity has gone bad in this regime. This regime has squandered many funds in the name of insecurity. The President has exhibited incompetence with the ravaging insecurity across the country. Buhari and the service chiefs have failed us.”
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