The Civil Society Coalition for National Peace and Security (CSCNPS), has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to immediately overhaul the nation’s security architecture following the worsening security challenges in the country.
The group particularly called on the president to replace the National Security Adviser (NSA), Major General Mohammed Babagana Monguno (retd), and the service chiefs.
The CSCNPS said the retired senior officer and the service chiefs have run out of ideas on how to tackle contemporary security challenges besetting the country.
Apart from the NSA, who has spent about seven years in office, the group also tasked the President with the urgent need to also remove all the Service Chiefs, as part of deliberate measures to rejig the nation’s security architecture which, it argued, has failed to address the myriad of security challenges confronting Nigeria.
The worsening state of insecurity had triggered demands for Monguno’s immediate replacement from many individuals, groups, and institutions, including the House of Representatives.
In a statement signed by Dr Bashir Usman Katsina. National Coordinator, and National Secretary, Arch Usman Ndagi Lapai, CSCNPS expressed regrets that the insecurity across the country is having a consequential negative effect on agriculture and the economy.
“We are, by this statement, appealing to the father of the nation, President Muhammadu Buhari, to consider the immediate sack of the National Security Adviser, Major General Babagana Monguno (retd) and all the Service Chiefs, to emplace a new security regime in the country.
“Doing so, we maintain, will show that Mr. President, indeed, has the interest of the over two hundred million Nigerians at heart”, the group stated.
While assuring the President that he could still turn the tide of insecurity against terrorists, kidnappers, and other enemies of the state before the 2023 general elections, the civil society organisation added that appointing a new set of Service Chiefs, as well an NSA will bring fresh ideas and perspectives on countering banditry, kidnapping, insurgency and other forms of criminality in the country.
The statement said, “We, the Coalition of Civil Society for National Peace and Security, condemn in the strongest terms the prevailing state of insecurity in Nigeria and the grave implications on Nigeria’s economy ahead of the 2023 General Elections.
“We are also concerned on how those in charge of providing security in Nigeria are doing everything possible to intimidate the public from speaking about insecurity and are also bent on gaging the media instead of tackling the security situation in Nigeria head on.
“The biggest challenge to the development as it stands today in Nigeria is insecurity and the commander in chief of the Armed forces must act now.
“The President must deliver himself from those enemies of Nigeria who are ill advising him about security, because the situation is really bad, except something is done urgently starting with the sacking of the National security adviser Babagana Monguno, who is in charge of coordinating intelligence agencies and assets as well as replace all the service chiefs with committed officers, the 2023 election may just be a mirage.
“Reports from our Agricultural desk show that 68% percent of farmers in the North West could not farm this year due to threat of bandits, while in Northcentral stood at 63%, what this worrisome figure means is that if the president does not wade the big stick on his security architecture now, next year maybe worst for Nigerians in terms of hunger and poverty,
“It is, therefore, our candid appeal that Mr president considers the interest of the larger Nigerian populace and act now rather than listening to the very few who have failed the nation woefully. Nigerians are in pain like never before and the agony Nigerians are going through is 80% due to the level of insecurity in the nation”.
It concluded thus: “The deliberate effort of some people to gag the media not to speak against the security situation in the country is very worrisome and goes to show that they don’t have the solution to end the insecurity,
“However, men of Goodwill must resist this trend and continue to speak for our nation. People will naturally not speak or complain when they are secure, but when you gag their voices against their wishes, you will be promoting anarchy and nationwide civil actions. It is on this premise that we are calling on all civil society organisations, CBO, and well-meaning Nigerians to speak up until we get it right in security.
“Finally it’s our humble appeal to Mr President to rejig his security architecture by sacking the National Security Adviser NSA and all the service chiefs and replace them with committed officers. Committed officers can still do so much within the few months this administration has”
