…..reiterates stand for immediate declaration of state of emergency
By Eberechi Obinagwam
The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has backed the House of Representatives on the demand for the immediate resignation of the Service Chiefs.
It also reiterates its stand for immediate declaration of state of emergency in the nation.
The General Secretary, Comrade Lumumba. I. Okugbawagave the verdict in a statement.
He said that the union was in support of the demand by the House of Representatives to sack the Service Chiefs for failing to tackle the rising wave of criminality and alarming increase of insecurity in Nigeria.
On the state of emergency, the union recalled that the declaration of a state of emergency and a total overhaul of the nation’s security apparatus with immediate effect, as well as a systematic mop up of arms and ammunitions illegally acquired by politicians in the build-up to the 2019 General Elections, especially now that the electoral process is over was on their demands when they raised the alarm on the increasing rate of insecurity in the country earlier.
According to him, “We hinge this renewed call on the fact that the security network as presently constituted has lost its value and focus and something drastic needs to be done before the country drifts into anarchy.
“It is this growing rate of insecurity that has led to regional creation of security apparatus like the Amotekun by the South West Governors and other regions itching to create theirs which might lead in the long run regional demand for autonomy with its attendant consequences.
“However, we cannot continue to guarantee the current industrial peace in our sector should there be no improvement on the part of the Federal Government in arresting this trend as recorded in 2019.
“We therefore reiterate our stand for the declaration of a state of emergency on Security immediately.”.
He explained that the growing rate of insecurity in the land has become a nightmare. On daily basis, stories of killings in states such as Borno, Plateau, Kaduna, Adamawa and the recent beheading of the Adamawa State CAN Chairman have saturated the mass media. “The Boko Haram sect for example, has been relentless in the shedding of blood and destruction of properties of innocent victims. We condemn in totality these atrocities and find it highly unacceptable.”
He disclosed that to them as an association, the Service Chiefs have overstayed their tenure in office in the various arms of the Nation’s Armed Forces thereby contravening the Armed Forces Laws on retirement and disengagement from active service and have therefore become lethargic.
He said that the lawmakers also accused the national security apparatus of transforming the security situation in the country into a cash cow for their self-aggrandizement and therefore called on President Muhammadu Buhari to sack them if they fail to resign honourably.