From Godwin Tsa, Abuja
Former Minister of Aviation, Mr Femi Fani-Kayode, has reiterated his call on President Muhammadu Buhari to sack all the Service Chiefs and appoint those that can professionally secured the country.
While passing a vote of no confidence on the military high command in the wake of rising insecurity, Fani-Kayode maintained that the military high command has continued to neglect intelligence report by other security agencies as regards the activities of terrorist groups in the country.
Following the recent attack on Kuje Correctional Centre leading to the escape of over 800 of the 994 inmates, the former took to his social media page to blame the Nigerian military for complicity in the attack.
He particularly blamed the attack on the lackadaisical response of the military, despite getting a prior alert from the secret police before the attack.
But in its reaction, the DHQ said the allegations against it by Mr Fani-Kayode were untrue and unsubstantiated.
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“In all these allegations, Mr Kayode is merely playing to the gallery. He is not in any position to know whether the DSS notified the military of any attack or not. It may not be impossible that such a claim is part of a calculated attempt to cause division and rivalry amongst all Government Agencies that have been working collaboratively in addressing issues of insecurity in the country,” Major Gen. Akpor, spokesperson of the DHQ, said.
However, in a statement on Sunday, Fani-Kayode advised that military high command to channel it’s energy to rescue Nigeria from the tight grip of terrorist groups rather than engage him in an attempt to cow him.
“The military High Command and Defence Headquarters spends it’s time facing up to and fighting the terrorists that have turned our nation into a functional killing field and horrendous bloodbath and abattoir over the last few years and attempt to carry out their constitutional role of protecting us from enemies within and without rather than trying to engage me in a press war or cow me into silence.
“Thousands of our civilians have been kidnapped, butchered and subjected to the most horrendous acts of evil and violence by the numerous terrorist organisations that have invaded and plagued our land.
All this yet we are supposed to sit by idly and clap for our military field and operational commanders when things are clearly going wrong?
Call it “rabble rousing” if you like (as they did in their press statement) but the overwhelming majority of Nigerians are appalled and disgusted with the degree to which our security situation has degenerated and are demanding that the Military High Command either goes or does far better.
Their glaring and embarrassing failures are as repugnant to them as it is to me.
Nigerians are also utterly disgusted at the disdain and contempt with which they carry out their duties and their utter insensitivity to the plight of their own soldiers and the concerns of our people.
Given the fact that they have refused to do this, I once again call on President Muhammadu Buhari, as I did in my video, to retire them and appoint Service Chiefs that can do the job properly and meet the expectations of Nigerians.
For this I offer no apology and I stand by everything that I said in that video including the assertion that the leadership and rank and file of the DSS, NIA and NPF have continued to give the necessary intelligence, confront and tackle the terrorists and do their job as best as they can but the Military High Command have not.
Others may be intimidated and compelled to remain silent but I will not.
Numerous Governors, including the Governor of Zamfara state, have publicly and privately called for Nigerians to arm themselves whilst others, like the Governors of Kaduna state and Niger state, have called for greater efforts on the part of the military to seek out, uproot and confront the terrorists.
Other Governors, like the Governor of Ondo state and indeed ALL the Governors of the South West, have gone as far as to demand that the states and zones have their own Armed militias and police because you have not been able to protect the people.
Such is the level of angst and anger in the land and it is essentially a referendum on your performance.
If all was well not one of these respected individuals or anyone else have cause to complain or demand more from you.
Instead of rectifying the situation the only thing you can do is issue a press statement telling me not to complain?