By Ishaya Ibrahim, News Editor
President Muhammadu Buhari has consistently ignored the Senate over calls to sack the service chiefs.
On December 1, the Senate restated the motion they’ve previously made that the president sack the service chiefs following the slaughter of 110 rice farmers in Borno. Buhari has not responded to that demand.
Former aide to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan on social media, Reno Omokri, said since the president is reluctant in sacking the service chiefs, the senate should find the balls to sack the president.
“If General @MBuhari refuses to sack his service chiefs, the @NGRSenat should grow a spine and summon up the will to sack Buhari. Otherwise, terrorists, bandits, and kidnappers will kill Northerners one by one. This should not be a case of my brother is there,” he said in a tweet.
In July this year, the Senate had urged the president to fire the service chiefs but the presidency responded with a tacit rebuke to the Senate, reminding the lawmakers that Buhari is still the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces and would only do what was in the interest of the country.
“The Senate Tuesday adopted a resolution calling on the Service Chiefs to resign or be sacked due to the multi-pronged security challenges in the country. The Presidency notes the resolution, and reiterates that appointment or sack of Service Chiefs is a Presidential prerogative, and President Muhammadu Buhari, in his capacity as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, will do what is in the best interest of the country at all times,” the presidential statement reads.
In February this year, the presidency also alleged that those calling for the sack of the service chiefs were Boko Haram beneficiaries.
The president’s senior special assistant on media and publicity, Garba Shehu, in a statement said: “A group of politicians and beneficiaries of the Boko Haram insurgency is right now paying for people to join their planned protest against our country’s service chiefs.”
The service chiefs are the managers of Nigeria’s defence system including the Chief of Defence staff, General Gabriel Olonishakin, chief of Army Staff, General Tukur Buratai, Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas, Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshall Sadique Abubakar and the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu.
Apart from the IGP, Adamu, the others have held the position since 2015.