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Okwe Obi, Abuja
Peace builders under the aegis of Coalition of Concern Northern Elders for Peace and Development, (COCONEPD), have said the inability of farmers to grow crops because of insecurity in some parts of the country would lead to hunger and malnutrition in camps occupied by Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs).
COCONEPD, stated that the security problem has worsened the hardship of women and children especially in the North East and the North West region of the country.
COCONEPD National Chairman, Dr Mohammed Suleiman and National Secretary, Mairo Buni, in a statement on Monday, appealed to President Mohammadu Buhari, to appoint new service chiefs which would be the first step in solving the crisis, because it had “reached a boiling point.”
Suleiman said: “We are compelled by the current state of the nation especially as it affects the security of lives and property in Nigeria particularly in the North to issue this press statement.
“Food security is being threatened in the North West because of bandits who have been depriving farmers of going to their farms. The deteriorating plights of women and children in North East is on steady increase.
“Malnutrition is the order of the day in IDPs’ camps across North East. Investors are leaving the country on daily basis because of insecurity. This is dangerous for our economic projections of 2021. No country can fund its budget effectively in the mist of insecurity like Nigeria.”
Bini added that” This Coalition became very necessary and urgent to lend our voice to the growing insecurity and call for the sack of the current service chiefs and total overhaul of the security architecture of our country before it is too late.
“We are worried about President Muhammadu Buhari’s silence despite call by every arm of Nigeria including the National Assembly who are the representatives of the people.
“Some international organizations and authorities have faulted our security architecture and called for the need to restructure same yet Mr President is still not moved ?
“Is he waiting for all Nigerians to die first? In a constitutional democracy the people are the employer of the president and for a president to write his name on gold, he must listen to the people.
“We in this group insist that President Buhari is a good man that mean very well for Nigeria and Nigerians but we strongly believe that he is being misled on a daily basis in the happenings of the security.
“No Nigerian sleeps with his eyes closed anymore. Our roads and homes are no longer safe because of robbery, kidnapping, banditry and Boko Haram terrorists.”
“Apart from Maiduguri town, there is no community in Borno State where our people can sleep with their eyes closed.
“We wish to use this measure to let our president know that Nigerians are really tired of excuses from the service chiefs. Their continuous retention is not doing the country any good.
“What is so special about them that they cannot be sacked? Isn’t it obvious that they have lost ideas, tired and are no longer in control
“We are convinced that they are out of ideas that can not change the game in the security of the nation, hence the proper thing for the president to do Is to sack them without further delay.
“We call on the president to take this first step and follow it up with restructuring the entire security architecture of the country for utmost results.
“Nigerians, especially the youths are tired of the level of insecurity in the country. The large turnout by youths on the End SARS campaign across the country is an indication that Nigerians are tired of excuses.
“We are therefore appealing to president Muhammad Buhari to as a matter of urgency, begin the restructuring of the country’s security architecture starting from the sack of these tired service chiefs and replace them with younger and more committed officers.
“Nigerians are fed up with the current level of insecurity. It is on this note that we issue this statement to express our concerns for the nation and the need for Mr president to act soon.”
