Non-performing service chiefs can go — Senate President

Senate President Ahmad Lawan on Sunday said any officer found short of expectations should be shown the way out if he refuses to go.

Lawan, who briefed State House reporters after meeting President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, said the National Assembly was ready to receive supplementary budget to tackle the security challenge, including the recruitment of more personnel in various security agencies in the country.

• Senate wants army varsity campuses created in 6 geopolitical zones
• Remove service chiefs now, experts tell Buhari

He said the resources must be provided to empower the security agencies to fight the Boko Haram in the North East, banditry and other security challenges across the country.

Lawan, who said the security situation in the country especially in the northern part of the country required that more resources be given to the security agencies, added that the heads of these agencies especially the service chiefs, must sit up and address the issues within timeline.

“We can’t just go on without any time frame for dealing with these issues,” he added.

Lawan said: “You know the country is facing very deep and serious security challenges and I have come to discuss with Mr. president what we discussed previously that we should do whatever it takes to improve the security situation in the country.

“And we believe that the senate and indeed the National Assembly is positively disposed to receiving even supplementary budget purposely to address the fundamental needs of the security agencies of our country so that we are able to empower them, enable them to fight the Boko Haram in the North East, banditry and other security challenges across the country.

“Secondly, in the senate, we believe we need to provide more resources for recruitment by the security agencies: Army, the Navy, Air Force, Police, immigration, the paramilitary generally.

“We need to have more manpower or personnel and this is not something you get on platter of gold.

“Whoever wants to make an omelette will break an egg.

“Section 14 subsection 2b of the constitution of the Federal Republic Nigeria is very categorical and crystal clear, that the purpose of government shall be to provide for security and welfare of the people.

“Therefore, we must, we have no luxury of any option other than to address the security challenges more than any other thing.

“We provided for N500 billion intervention for COVID for the revised budget, and various agencies, the CBN, the NNPC and the IOCs provided for palliatives and some kind of interventions for the COVID challenge.

“I think we must tell ourselves the truth, that the security situation in the country especially in the northern part of the country, require that we give much more resources to the security agencies.

“And those who are heading these agencies especially the service chiefs, must sit up, in fact we must have milestones and timelines on how we are going to deal with this.

“We can’t just go on without any time frame for dealing with these issues.

“If after we provide some support and someone is found short of expectations, he should be shown the way out if he refuses to go. Because the lives of Nigerians are so precious and therefore must be more important than any other considerations or sentiments. I believe that today, the most essential thing in government is to address the security challenges.”