Rising Insecurity: Buhari Explains Why He Hasn’t Sacked Service Chiefs

By Musa Ude, National News Editor

A visibly troubled President Muhammadu Buhari has explained why he yet to heed the clarion call from concern Nigerians to change the nation’s service chiefs.

The President who admitted in an Arise Television interview monitored by our news desk that the performance of the service chiefs has been disappointing, however, said that he will continue to take responsibility for not removing them.

Buhari said he would not be pressured to make hasty decision on such a vital issue, having served as military administrator, minister and head of state, when asked if it was not yet time to retire the under-performing service chiefs.

He further argued that removing service chiefs in the middle of a fight against insurgency may not augur well, after all.

Said he, “While fighting insecurity, if you remove service chiefs and the Inspector-General of Police, if you don’t wait for an appropriate time to do it, then you create competition within the service,” Buhari said when asked if it wasn’t yet time to remove the service chiefs.

“There are many ambitious people waiting within the service but only one man can be chief of army staff, only one man can be chief of air staff, only one man can be IG. Don’t forget that it was this administration that appointed them.

“I didn’t know them personally. I followed records and I think I picked the best. Of course, their performance may be disappointing but I accept responsibility for not changing them.”

But will the president’s explanation assuage the outcry for the retirement of the service chief? The coming days will unfold public sentiment on the matter.