Buhari breaking law by keeping service chiefs, says Shekarau

From Timothy Olanrewaju, Maiduguri

Former governor of Kano State, Senator Ibrahim Shekarau, has lent his voice to the strident call on

The senator representing Kano central, According to him, the issue of the sacking of the service chiefs over alleged ineptitude has been on for about three years, saying the president is breaking the law by keeping them beyond their years of service.

Speaking on a live television programme, yesterday, Shekarau said the service chiefs ought to go when they are 60 years of age or when they complete 35 years of service.

He said the service chiefs are public servants and should be treated like their counterparts in the service.

“He (Buhari) is breaking the law. The law says if you are 60 you must go, it is so automatic. If you are 35 years of service, you must go. In fact, they are not staff of the president, they are staff of the federal republic of Nigeria and there is a rule, it is just like in the civil service. If you are an ordinary civil servant and you hit 60 years, automatically you must go. The president hasn’t the right to extend beyond what the law says, that is the rule of law.”

‘We want security not food’

Residents of Zabarmari, the Borno community where Boko Haram beheaded over 60 farmers have demanded for more security, saying more security presence was more important to them than foods.

The Federal Government through the ministry of humanitarian affairs had on Tuesday delivered trucks of grains and non food items to the community  as relief in response to the negative impacts of the attack on the people. But the grieving residents insisted they want authority step up security in the area.

Usman Mohammed, 58 and farmers who could not go to the farmland on that Saturday because of the local government election, said he and his two sons would have been killed same way if he had gone to the farm. He said the community expects government to improve the security situation.

A survivor of the attack, Mohammed Hassan, recounted how the Boko Haram came to the farm.

“They were very few not up to seven. They call those on the farm and started talking to them. I don’t know what they were telling them because I didn’t get closer their. Then, I discovered they took some into a nearby bush and didn’t return. I was afar. Suddenly I saw one boy running, the Boko Haram fired at him but the gun didn’t hit him. I ran immediately into the bush,” he disclosed.