A former Chief of Army Staff and member of the defunct National Democratic Coalition, NADECO, General Alani Akinrinade (retd.), has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to change the country’s security architecture.
He spoke in reaction to comments by Governor Abdulaziz Yari of Zamfara that he does not have control over the security apparatus in the state.
In a chat with Thisday, the retired General said, “There are so many things that bother me even about security. First of all, we are spending so much that our countrymen are not thinking.
“How much of our resources – human, material and capital – have gone into security and yet, nobody is sure that we have beheaded Boko Haram or that there are no other terror groups springing up.
“Some of these issues have not been addressed properly. I will like to hear my president say there is no room for anybody – whether you’re herdsmen or farmers – killing one another and that he is going to do something very serious about the issue.
“He should change the architecture of the security forces – creating state police that will be strong and responsive to the needs and welfare of the people along with laws that will ensure that the state police are not used by some governments to harass their opponents.”
On Buhari’s second term ambition, Akinrinade said: “I cannot see on the horizon anyone that is trusted enough, who has the tenacity, the experience, the strategy, to create a Nigeria of our dream. We don’t need strong men but we need individuals, who can bring people together and think out of the box to create a Nigeria that is cohesive and dynamic.
“Buhari himself has to be careful, because he had once spoken about the country being ungovernable if he lost the election. Now he won the election and he’s ruling but the country is still ungovernable.”
“I really don’t care who governs this country as long the country is restructured based on federalism, allowing each state to grow and taking good care of its people. I don’t care if Buhari wants to sleep there (Aso Villa), elected for 12 or 15 years. I don’t know why people have to declare loyalty just like that – he has not finished one term.”
-Daily Post