Insecurity: Kinsmen seek NSA, Monguno’s sack

Some kinsmen of the National Security Adviser (NSA),Major General Babagana Monguno have expressed disappointment over his performance, in securing the country, saying the deteriorating security situation has exposed him as lacking experience in emplacing a secured Nigeria.

The NSA’s kinsmen, operating under the umbrella of North East Elders for Peace and Development,in a statement, Thursday,by their National Coordinator, Engr. Zana Goni,appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to review the nation’s security architecture by first sacking the NSA and replacing him with a competent security adviser.

They lamented that despite huge funds earmarked every year for the security of Nigeria,“there is little or nothing to show as massive killing of people and raiding of communities in all parts of the country by bandits and Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorists continue unabated.”

Noting that this was their second of making the demand, having done same in 2021, the group blamed President Buhari for making the country’s security situation to deteriorate by leaving Monguno in his position in spite of all the the security crisis.

The North East elders said they renewed their call for Monguno’s sack because Nigeria was collapsing due to his inability to manage its security.

The group said the attack on Abuja-Kaduna bound train where scores of passengers were abducted by terrorists with some shot dead,the continuous keeping of the hostages by the terrorists,the attack on Kuje prison and freeing of inmates unhindered by terrorists and last Sunday’s attack on troops of Presidential Guards Brigade in Abuja,were enough signs that Monguno knows nothing about security management.

The North East elders insisted that Buhari must now take proactive actions to address the worsening state of insecurity in the country by first, relieving Monguno of his position as NSA to save the country from further security crisis.

“We jubilated when President Buhari appointed our son, Major General Babagana Monguno (retd) as the National Security Adviser upon his assumption of office as President and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of Nigeria. We thought he would bring his experience in the military to bear but things seem not to be working under him. This,we believe,is due to his inability to properly handle our security management.

“At this point,we wish to call on President Muhammadu Buhari to sack the National Security Adviser, Major General Babagana Monguno (retd) over the increasing spate of insecurity, insurgency and abduction in different parts of the country,”the group said.

The group lamented that over seven years into President Buhari’s administration, the security situation had continued to escalate, leading to massive killings and destructions.

It said Buhari had failed Nigerians who gave him massive support, believing that as a retired military General, he could tackle the security challenges bedevilling the country.

“It is on a sad note that we wish to remind the federal government and government at all levels, that the primary responsibility of government anywhere, particularly the one that was democratically elected by voters, is to protect the lives and property of citizens,” the group said.

“After seven years into President Muhammadu Buhari’s tenure, instead of reducing insecurity, it has escalated, thereby exposing great numbers of our people to avoidable deaths and loss of property in a manner that history has never witnessed before.

“The first step to addressing this is for the President to immediately relieve the National Security Adviser, Major General Babagana Monguno (retd) of his appointment.

“We restate unequivocally that Monguno has failed to provide useful advice to address the scourging insecurity in the country and therefore does not deserve continuous stay in office.

“As a pro-Northern group, we have found it very important to call on President Buhari to remove the National Security Adviser, Major General Babagana Monguno (retd), whose office and responsibilities are critical to the achievement of comprehensive security all over the country but hasn’t used the high esteem of his office in any productive ways since his appointment as NSA.

‘The reason for this call is not far fetched. We believe that Monguno was part of the gross failure associated with the tenure of the former security chiefs and his continued presence in office is making the success Buhari intended to achieve with the changes impossible,”the group said. Vanguard