As a people, insecurity is fast becoming a natural disaster. Very soon, we may forget that we ever enjoyed peace as a nation. Yet, we have an Army, Airforce and Naval Force. We have a Police that has forced several operations on the masses such as Operation Burst, OP MESA and the Federal SARS. We also have a number of paramilitary establishments here and there, yet we cannot sleep with both eyes closed.

Need I blame the National Security Adviser, Monguno for taking extra care in an attempt to secure the presidency? The number of lives lost to Boko Haram terrorism, Herdsmen insurgency, occultic killings and kidnappings here and there among others are enough reasons to go the extra mile. If Shiites (few months ago) could pose so much threat to the National Assembly that the country lost a police officer to their attack, and a lot of Nigerians living and working in the FCT could not go to work or let their children go to school because Shiites were holding a violent protest, our service chiefs should have voluntarily resigned by now.

This however, is not to say that the NSA has any constitutional authority to either issue directives to the Service Chiefs, or a constitutional standing to determine who the Chief of Staff to the President meets with or what meetings he presides over. According to the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended; Third Schedule, Section 25 states the formation and membership of The National Security Council clearly. By this provision, the NSA has no role other than being a member of the National Security Council.

It is worthy of notes that the tenure of each service chief is expired. And judging by the state of insecurity in the nation, none of them should be brought back. They should all have been replaced by now. Only a good turn deserves another.

One of the major responsibilities of a government is to protect lives and property. Without mincing words, our state of security as a nation has been a nightmare. This is March 2020, about a year that this administration was trusted with votes of the people to lead on; concerning our security, nothing has changed for good. We are still at same spot.

As a representative of the people and a true son of Ìbàdàn, I say if our Service Chiefs cannot be proactive over the lives of the masses and the soldiers they command, they should be laid off.

Prince Akínrẹ̀mí Jagaban,
MHR, Ìbàdàn North Federal Constituency.