A former member of the House of Representatives and Senator representing Kano Central, Rufai Hanga, has said Buhari’s refusal to dispose of underperforming service chiefs is down to fears that his administration could end prematurely, as it did during his stint as military head of state in 1985.
He said the President is currently being surrounded and is at the mercy of powerful individuals who seem to be benefitting from the towering security problems ravaging the country.
According to Hanga, if previous calls demanding that the president sack the service chiefs didn’t yield any result, the recent outcry following yet another horror attack on 78 farmers in Zabarmari, Borno State, won’t change anything.
Hanga made the statement in an interview with Sunday Sun. He said, “The Senate and the House of Representatives have made this call several times, but the president has refused to act for the reasons best known to him.
“Some people say he is afraid of the coup. He once mentioned that he didn’t want to change the Service Chief because there were very ambitious officers down the ladder. That means he is afraid of the coup.
“The most unfortunate thing is that these Service Chiefs have overstayed their usefulness. Some of them have spent 40 years in service.
“The rule is that you retire after 35 years of service or upon the attainment of 60 years of age. Some of these people have spent far and above their age of retirement so much that the junior officers are being retired.
“It is very demoralizing for those under them. It is very disheartening that most senior is not performing. The president himself has said it that their best is not good enough, which means he is not satisfied with what they have done.”
For the third time in 2020, the Senate also passed a resolution asking the president to sack the service chiefs; just as the House of Representatives summoned him to appear at the House to explain rising insecurity in the country.
Reacting, Hanga said, “The call by the Senate is a mere political statement. What have they done all this while since they have been calling for the sack of the Service Chiefs and the president has remained adamant?
“The resolution is empty because the president has refused to budge to their demand. So, there is nothing they can do.
“What is it that the House of Representatives wants to hear from him that the lawmakers have not heard before?
“What has he not said before? If he refuses to appear before the House, nothing will happen.”
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