Northern group threatens national protest until Buhari sacks NSA

Worried by the dimension the insecurity in the country is taking, northern group Arewa Youth Assembly has threatened to embark on a nationwide protest until President Muhammadu Buhari sack his National Security Adviser (NSA), Gen Babagana Monguno (retd).

To this group, the NSA whose primary responsibility is to counsel Mr President as the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces on the best approach to secure lives and property in Nigeria in addition to citizens' welfare has not been able to deliver creditably on his responsibility, hence, the need for his replacement as Buhari's second and last tenure winds down.

A copy of a letter signed by the Speaker of the group, Mohammed Salihu Danlami, dated August 8, obtained by Daily Sun on Wednesday intimated the security apparatuses and office of the NSA in the federal capital territory, Abuja of the planned protest.

Danlami who confirmed the authenticity of the letter via mobile phone added that the planned national protest became necessary in the interest of the Nigerian masses who cannot afford to hire the expensive services of private security to protect them against marauding criminal elements across the country.

“Nowhere is safe in Nigeria as we are sleeping and waking up only by the grace of God. We expect patriotic Nigerians to come out and protest. Let's think Nigeria, let's think security.

“We have also sent invitations to other civil society organisations and other regional organisations who have accepted to be part of the protest,” he said.

Meanwhile, the letter titled “notification of peaceful protest over rising in insecurity and the urgent need to sack the national security adviser” read in part: “We wish to notify you of our resolve to organise a peaceful protest at the Three Arms Zone, at the expiration of the two weeks ultimatum we issued to the National Security Adviser, General Babagana Monguno (rtd) to resign over his inability to come up with a workable strategy to tame the rising insecurity ravaging Northern Nigeria.

“We are aware that President Muhammadu Buhari responded to calls by Nigerians to replace the then-service chiefs. We have equally observed that the change of guard yielded little or no significant improvement in the state of our country's security situation.

“It is therefore our considered view that the NSA, who is in a position to offer counsel to Mr President on a workable template to stampede out the terrorist elements might have run out of ideas.

“As lovers of Mr President, who desire to see him handover a more credible and prosperous Nigeria to his successor in a few months, we have resolved to organise a massive protest on our call on NSA to either resign or be sacked by Mr President. The protest is expected to start on August 17 by 8 am at the Presidential Villa.”

(Daily Sun)