Only Buhari can sack service chiefs, says presidency

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Only Buhari can sack service chiefs, says presidency

Why I was silent on motion, by Ndume

Abuja has declared that the removal or otherwise of the country’s security chiefs is the prerogative of President Muhammadu Buhari.

The clarification came yesterday from the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, amid the avalanche of calls for the sack of the nation’s security heads over their alleged inability to tame the deteriorating insecurity in the country.

Specifically, the Senate had adopted a resolution calling on the service chiefs to resign or be sacked due to the multi-pronged security challenges in the country.

The Chairman, Senate Committee on Army, Ali Ndume (APC, Borno), reportedly brought the motion to the floor of the red chamber.

Contributors to the motion lamented stressed that the motion was capable of frustrating the war against insecurity.

But the Vice Chairman, Senate Committee on Customs, Ayo Fadahunsi, proposed an additional prayer that demanded the “stepping aside” of the service chiefs. Senator Betty Apiafi seconded his prayer.

The Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, ruled on the prayer and it was overwhelmingly supported by all senators in attendance.

However, a statement signed by Adesina noted the resolution of the parliament, but stated that the appointment or sack of service chiefs was a presidential prerogative.

“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,” Adesina stated.

Surprisingly, Ndume has come out to declare that he did not ask for the sack of service chiefs.

Ndume told journalists yesterday that his original motion was silent on the sack of service chiefs because he was aware that the armed forces were grossly ill-equipped.

He said, “To win this war, we need number, technology and equipment, which the armed forces don’t have this. So how can you blame people that sacrifice their lives?”

When reminded that the Senate had amended his motion to ask the service chiefs to “step aside” after he left chamber, Ndume said the resolution was just advisory.