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vanguardnews @vanguardnews @vanguardnews
Vanguard, THURSDAY, JANUARY 30, 2020 — 5
POCKET CARTOON
The popular Balogun market on Lagos Island with many buildings and
goods gutted by fire, yesterday. Photo: Lamidi Bamidele.
Fire service chiefs now,
Senators, Reps tell Buhari
By Henry Umoru &
Tordue Salem
ABUJA — Worried over
the escalating
insecurity situation in the
country, the House of
Representatives,,
yesterday asked service
chiefs to immediately
resign their offices or be
sacked by President
Muhammed Buhari.
The House, in a
resolution, said the Service
Chiefs have not been able
to address the security
challenges plaguing the
country since 2015 when
they were appointed by the
President.
On its part, the Senate
called on President Buhari
to, as a matter of urgency,
sack the Service Chiefs,
who were appointed July
2015, contending that that
they have done their part
and at the moment, are out
of ideas and have
overstayed their welcome.
Similarly, Speaker of the
House of Representatives,
Mr Femi Gbajabiamila,
has described Amotekun, a
South-West regional
security initiative and
similar regional outfits, as
solutions to the raging
problem of insecurity in the
country.
Reps asks service chiefs
to resign
The Reps regretted that
the security top brass have
adopted ineffective
strategies that have failed
to yield positive results.
A motion by the Chief
Whip of the House,
Mohammed Monguno
(APC, Borno) and 14
others, asked President
Buhari to sack the service
chiefs if they failed to
resign their positions.
Monguno, who
expressed concern over the
growing blood-letting from
attacks by Boko Haram and
the Islamic State West
African Province, ISWAP,
insurgents in the North-
East, recalled that activities
of the insurgents, were
drastically reduced earlier
in Borno and Yobe States,
before the latest resurgence
in attacks on communities.
He said, “Recently, the
insurgents have forced the
Nigerian Military to close
traffic on the Damaturu-
Maiduguri Road for some
days. The Damaturu-
Maiduguri Road is the
only access road from
Maiduguri to other parts of
Nigeria.”
Abubakakar Fulata (APC,
Jigawa) in his contribution,
called for the withdrawal of
security personnel serving
in the North East and their
replacement with new
personnel, adding that the
long stay of the security
personnel has largely
contributed to their
inefficiency as they were
tired of remaining there.
Chairman, Committee on
Army, Mr Abdulrazaq
Namdas (APC, Adamawa),
said, the rise in attacks by
Boko Haram in the North-
East and increasing
insecurity in across the
country, was troubling, but
opposed the idea of
removing all the personnel
currently serving in the
area, saying their
experience was still
needed to assist those that
will be sent to work there.
On his part, Francis
Waive (PDP, Rivers), said
the issue of insecurity in the
country was general and
needed to be addressed
holistically and warned that
every Nigerian should be
concerned about what is
going on in the country.
He however, asked the
Service Chiefs to resign,
stressing that the President
should take another look at
the Service Chief with a
view to replacing them
with fresh hands who will
bring fresh ideas into the
security system in the
country.
Beni Lar (APC, Plateau)
argued that the North-
Eastern part of the country
has gradually been brought
to a standstill with the
resurgence in activities of
Boko Haram, stressing that
the lawmakers cannot sit
back and watch as if
nothing was happening.
Tobi Okechukwu (PDP,
Enugu), said the nation
needs to interrogate how it
conducts the business of
security in the country,
questioning why the
government should be
investing heavily on
Trader Moni when there is
no money to adequately
fund the security agencies.
Minority Leader, Mr
Ndudi Elumelu in his
contribution suggested
more investment in
equipment for the security
agencies, stressing that
there was no way you can
ask a policeman to rescue
you when he is poorly
equipped. He said there
were lots of things going on
in the country which need
urgent attention.
Sada Soli (APC,
Katsina), argued that the
President was not being
told the truth about
developments in the north
east.
In amending the original
motion, Francis Waive
asked the House to
demand the immediate
resignation of the Service
Chiefs, while some other
members said the
President should
immediately sack them.
But the Chairman of the
House Committee on
Defence, Jimi Benson(APC,
Lagos), said the laws allow
the President to keep the
Service Chiefs for as long
as he wishes, but
expressed concern over
recent developments in the
country.
He said: “The National
Security Adviser is from the
North East and cannot get
to his village. The Chief of
Army Staff is also from the
North East and cannot get
to his village. The Chief of
Air staff too. That speaks
volumes of their ability.
“But the solution lies in
the hands of the President.
I don’t know why he has
kept them since 2015 when
they were first appointed.
He should decide whether
to continue to keep them or
not. I believe the resolution
here will prick his
conscience.”
The House resolved that
the leadership of the House
and indeed the National
Assembly should hold a
tripartite meeting with the
President and the Service
Chiefs with a view to
finding lasting solution to
the security challenges.
Senate toes similar line
Toeing the same line, the
Senators called on
President Buhari to as a
matter of urgency sack the
Service Chiefs who were
appointed July 2015
against the backdrop that
they have done their part
and at the moment, they are
out of ideas as they have
overstayed their welcome.
Declare national security
emergency, Senate tells
Buhari
For six hours yesterday,
the security challenges in
the country was the subject
of discourse by the
Senators, who came to the
conclusion that the security
infrastructure has failed in
the country and that
President Buhari, should
as a matter of urgency
declare a national security
emergency.
The Senate also
summoned the Inspector-
General of Police, IGP,
Mohammed Adamu to
appear before it next
Wednesday to brief them on
the security challenges,
architecture, methods
employed so far and the
way forward towards
addressing the problems.
The Senate also set up a
17-member ad- hoc
Committee with the Senate
Leader, Senator Abdullahi
Yahaya (APC, Kebbi
North), as chairman,
saddled with the
Continues on Page 41
By Bose Adelaja &
Olayinka Latona
On ban of Okada, Tricycles in 15 LGAs by LASG (1)
It is a laudable step in
stamping out the menace
of okada riders on our roads
because many of the okada
and tricycle riders are not
Nigerians and can’t interpret
road signs.
Though we could say they
have served as a fast means
of transportation for those
trying to beat traffic and get
to their destinations on time,
however, the risk involved is
on the high side compared
with the gains
*Amodu Muhammed
Administrator
The ban, in my opinion,
is not the right
decision on the part of
government. In a busy city
like Lagos, the okada and
tricycle are alternative
means of transportation and
easy means for commuters
carrying out their daily
activities. Moreso, the
riders will be left jobless and
this will increase the rate of
unemployment. I will urge
the LASG to have a rethink
on this decision.
*Gbadegesin Samuel
Fashionpreneur
There's no doubt that
the carelessness of the
tricycle and okada riders
has become a menace to the
society. Speaking from
experience, I was actually
brushed by a keke man
recently because I refused
to leave the pedestrian way.
Placing a ban on them
from plying major roads
should be enacted promptly
and anyone who refuses to
adhere should be punished,
in my opinion.
*Akinbode Stellar
Writer.
Restricting okada and
tricycles in Lagos
State is like closing down a
major means of employment
for a set of people.
I think the state
government should instill
sanity and discipline in the
mode of operation of these
riders instead of banning
them from major routes in
the state. So many
families will suffer
because those affected
are breadwinners of their
families
*Olarewaju Ellen
Makeup Artist.
Personally, I really
don’t see reasons
for the ban, especially
tricycles.
Tricycles have really
made it easy for people
in the state to move
around especially on
streets that the buses
don’t go through.
Lagos State Government
should have
found a way to work
round the situation.
*Olutoto Iyinoluwa
Educationist
The ban is a welcome
development but we
have to look at the pros and
cons as it affects Lagosians.
Firstly, the rate of accidents
occasioned by the
recklessness of these riders
is high; so many lives have
been lost. Secondly, okada
and tricycles are sources of
livelihood for many
families so, a stakeholders’
meeting should have been
convened before the
government arrived at the
decision.
*Kewulere A.Omolara
Accountant