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Peter Obi, former governor of Anambra State, has opined that ending insecurity in Nigeria is beyond what many have demanded; the resignation or sack of Service Chiefs in the country.
Gabriel Olonisakin, chief of defence staff; Tukur Buratai, chief of army staff; Sadique Abubakar, chief of air staff; and Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas, chief of naval staff; are all due for retirement.
The Senate recently joined the call for the Service Chiefs to step aside due to their performance which appears to them as unsatisfactory but the Presidency responded that only President Muhammadu Buhari has the prerogative to sack them.
Speaking on Monday as a guest on the Arise TV programme, The Morning Show, Obi said though he was not against the sack of the Service Chiefs but it still may not suffice to solve the security challenges in the country.
He said the situation may persist if the service chiefs are asked to step outside without salvaging the economy and investing in education.
“I agree with the Senate for change of service chiefs but if you do all these things and don’t change the economy or invest in out of school children they would become criminals,” said the former governor.
“We are in a global world; someone can be in Maiduguri and be employed in another country so investment education will reduce crimes.
“Let us invest properly in economy and education, that is the most important solution to end crime.”
earlier, MERIDIAN SPY reported Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai, Chief of Army Staff, said Nigeria is now safer than it was five years ago.
Also at another platform, Obi remarked that the coronavirus pandemic has exposed years of leadership failure in Nigeria.
The 2019 vice presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) stated this during a virtual event organised by Bridge Leadership Foundation for the 10th edition of its career day tagged, ‘The Global Economy: Adapting to the New Normal.
He said the process of selecting leaders in the country is weak, adding that recent events in the country has shown that ”lunatics have taken over the asylum”.
“COVID-19 offered us an opportunity to see the result of cumulative failure of leadership over the years. It is time for persons who are competent to lead.” Obi said.
“Nigeria has time to realise that we now have to change the process of selecting our leaders because it is weak. If you look at what has been happening in Nigeria in recent times, we are now in a situation where the lunatics have taken over the asylum and they must leave now – all of us, including myself. It is time to get people who have ideas and everything.
“A situation where we have people in leadership who are incapable of learning new things has to change. Nigeria don’t need leadership who are trapped in the processes of yesterday, we want those who have something to offer for tomorrow.
“In a society where people have excelled, they have achieved such because they have being given an opportunity. When we are talking about the new normal, we also have to look at our environment. We need to start thinking differently about those that govern us also.”
