Presidency Replies Senate Over Calls For Service Chiefs To Step Aside

The Presidency has rejected a call by the Senate  to sack all the Service Chiefs over persistent rise in the spate of insecurity in the Northern part of Nigeria as well as some other parts of the country.

The Senate had on Tuesday called on President Muhammadu Buhari to ask the service chiefs to step as aside soldiers fighting insurgency and other forms of crime in the country continue to get killed while on duty.

But  the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, in a statement immediately disagreed with the position of the lawmakers.

According to Adesina sacking of service chiefs remained the prerogative of the President and he will only do what is in the best interest of the country at all times.

He said, “The Senate Tuesday adopted a resolution calling on the service chiefs to resign or be sacked due to the multi-pronged security challenges in the country.

“The Presidency notes the resolution, and reiterates that appointment or sack of service chiefs is a presidential prerogative, and President Muhammadu Buhari, in his capacity as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, will do what is in the best interest of the country at all times.”

Earlier Chairman of Senate Committee on Army, Senator Ali Ndume had raised a motion urging the Senate to prevail on the President to ask the service chiefs to step aside so that he can appoint a different set of people to bring in Fresh ideas to salvage Nigeria from incessant attacks by bandits and other criminal elements.

According to them some members of the armed forces who are scared of losing their lives have started resigning from the military.

The Vice-Chairman of the Senate Committee on Customs, Senator Ayo Fadahunsi, proposed an additional prayer that demanded the stepping aside of the service chiefs and his prayer was seconded by Senator Betty Apiafi.

The Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, ruled on the prayer and it was supported by all the senators present during the session.