Insecurity: Senator Ningi Spits Fire, Says Current Service Chiefs Have No Capacity To End Banditry In Nigeria
- Says N1bn Super Tucano Jets Waste Of Taxpayers’ Money
- Accuses Lawmakers Of Knowing Cause Of Insecurity
Senator representing Bauchi Central Senatorial District, Abdul Ningi, on Wednesday, said he wasn’t sure the current Service Chiefs and other security echelons can end banditry attacks in Nigeria.
Ningi said the growing number of new bandit groups announcing their presence in some states in the North Central and North West regions is a cause for concern.
He noted that he was not sure the security chiefs have what it takes to bring Nigeria out of the doldrums of insecurity bedeviling the nation, which has lingered for a long time.
The lawmaker, while speaking to journalists in Abuja in the aftermath of the Senate’s adopted motion on the need to convoke a security summit, said that to mitigate insecurity in the nation, the appointment of Security Chiefs should be based on merit and not on tribe, religion, or political affiliations.
“I am not sure the current Security Chiefs have what it takes to bring the country out of the grip of these bandits,” he said.
He asserted that the security summit wasn’t the best way to look for solutions to counter the lingering security challenges in the country. Rather, it would expose some traditional rulers and other persons who may be invited for the program to their enemies.
He urged his colleagues to look inward and tackle the menace once and for all, noting that they both know where the problem lies.
He lamented that each time the authorities took steps to solve security challenges, the step would always be the wrong one, particularly citing the Tucano jets bought by the government to wage war against terrorists but now lying waste.
“To make things worse, the Super Tucano jets that cost the country almost N1 billion in borrowed money are yet to be put to use, what a waste of taxpayers’ money.”
He said that during the screening of the current Security Chiefs, he personally asked about the Tucano jets and the answer was that “they brought it with some contract limitations. As such, they can’t use it efficiently and effectively because the U.S. government said there are some limitations on where the Tucanos should be used.
“If you know that there are limitations, why did you go there to buy it? Where are they? Why have they not been used?” he queried.
Olamilekan Adigun is a graduate of Mass Communication with years of experience in journalism embedded in uncovering human interest stories. He also prioritises accuracy and factual reportage of issues.
