▪︎Says New Service Chiefs need six months to rejig Nigeria’s security architecture
Former Abia State Governor and Senate Whip (representing Abia North), Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to convoke a national dialogue on the festering insecurity in the country.
He spoke against the backdrop of the increasing spate of banditry, arson, killing, kidnapping and insecurity countrywide.
He also suggested that the new service chiefs should be allowed between five and six months to rejig the nation’s security architecture to deal with terrorism.
Kalu, who was interviewed on Channels Television’s “Sunday Politics”, also took the opportunity of the interview to canvass a Nigerian President of Southeast extraction in 2023.
Kalu expressed worries about the degeneration of security situation in the country even as he called for actions to quickly stem the rising tide.
Kalu said it was sad that no part of the country had been spared of wanton destruction.
He decried the recent attacks on the country home of Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodinma and Police formations in the Southeast zone.
Read him: “Nigeria is at war with itself. There is no part of the country that has not been attacked with its attendant loss of life and property.
“We cannot continue like this. It has to stop before our country is destroyed. This type of things happened when I was a Governor and I handled it.
“When they were kidnapping white men in the Niger Delta, the then President called me and other Governors and I said when they were done kidnapping white men they would turn to our our citizens. Fortunately, we dealt with it. We can do it again. A national dialogue is needed without further delay.”
Kalu said it was the responsibility of the Presidency to convoke the national dialogue.
According to him: “Of course, it is not the National Assembly that will call for national discussion. It is the President of Federal Republic of Nigeria (Muhammadu Buhari).
“I suggest now is the time for Mr President to call for National Dialogue without further delay to save our country.”
He stated that: “A national discussion is needed at this time, such that it will enable a regional discussion, a forum for each region to come to air their views on ways to end banditry, killing and insurgency in Nigeria.”
He called for collective positive actions to save Nigeria from destruction.
Meantime, Kalu said he was throwing his weight behind a Nigerian President of South East extraction in 2023.
But asked pointedly if he had interest in contesting for the presidency in 2023, in accordance with some prophetic declarations, Kalu replied: “I am a Catholic. I don’t believe in the said “visioners” or “prophets”. I support a Nigerian President of Southeast extraction in 2023.
“It must not be me but if I am asked to lead, I am mentally and physically fit to lead Nigeria and I will unite the country. I am an investor, I have massive investments in the 36 states of Nigeria hence I want the country to be at peace.
“We don’t have any other country to call our own. We must rise to stop the killings. We must dialogue”.
Kalu also raised the issue of service chiefs while responding to the question on insecurity in the country, saying they (service chiefs) needed between five and six months to rejig the country’s security architecture.
According to him, “It is not an immediate thing. It should be strategic and it should be professionally handled. We need equipment and as I said, we need a neighbourhood of about five to six months for them to rearrange the security architecture.”
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