The former Secretary to the government of the federation, SGF, Engr Babachir David Lawan, has blasted the Nigerian security agencies for allowing themselves to be egged by the political class.
According to him instead of them to protect the nation from further collapse of security threats from insecurity merchants but busy issuing threats to innocent citizens concerning the scheduled protest of August 1st.
Babachir said the Military is probably pandering to the huge ego of their Commander-in-Chief (referring to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu) for issuing threats to Nigerians in order to discourage them from participating in the proposed hunger protests.
Babachir revealed that the military has blatantly ignored the fact that internal security is wholly the constitutional responsibility of the Nigerian Police Force.
Babachir, in a press statement issued to TGnews and personally signed, lampooned the military who have ignored their constitutional assignment of fighting bandits, kidnappers holding sway Territories in many parts of Nigeria.
“Meanwhile, bandits, kidnappers, insurgents, and the so-called “unknown gunmen” are holding large swaths of Nigerian territory with thousands of its citizens held in captivity with no near-hope of redemption. The Military appears unable to or unwilling to effectively tackle these challenges but instead intends to dabble into domains for which they are ill-equipped.
‘Besides, the military high command pretends to be oblivious to the fact that their rank and file also attend the same markets as the hapless civilians, so they are also victims of the all-pervasive low purchasing power, extreme poverty, high cost of living and the all-pervading insecurity that has enveloped the nation. Indeed, one could argue that they are most affected, seeing as they are the ones losing more lives resulting from poorly equipped fighting forces that are the result of pervasive government corruption. Indeed, it is common knowledge that the bandits and insurgents are sometimes more equipped than the fighting troops. So the argument could be made that the military stands to benefit more if the government were to behave responsibly and accountably. And since by virtue of their calling, they cannot organize or participate in protests, who else could come to their rescue than the bloody protesting civilians ?”
Babachir continued to say that the Nigerian Police Force has been issuing murderous threats to the would-be protesters;
“This is particularly sad because the Police Force knows that its duty ought to be to protect the protesters and ensure the protests go on smoothly, devoid of violence and anarchy. But seeing that the police act has just been speedily amended, the primary motive appears to be the extension of tenure of the current Inspector General; it will not be out of place to assume that the police high command intends to show its gratitude to the President through an overzealous suppression of the planned protests.”
He, however, enjoined the CDS, COAS, IGP, DG SSS, and NSA to please calm down as the protesters are their relations, friends, and good countrymen and women who are severely overwhelmed by lack and want.
“Some of them are dying of hunger, malnutrition, and diseases. They are despondent because they see no hope on the horizon and they get no empathy from the government whose interests you are overzealously defending. The people’s backs are against the wall, and they see no alternative ways of communicating their discontent to a deaf and dumb government.” He said
