The Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG) says it is taking President Muhammadu Buhari to court over the continued retention of the nation’s service chiefs and the security challenges in the Northern part of the country.
According to the group, there have been calls for the removal of the service chiefs for their non-performance and the security situation in the North has worsened, hence the need for the court to compel Buhari to remove them (service chiefs).
However, the spokesman for the President, Garba Shehu, has consistently argued that only Buhari has the power to hire and fire the service chiefs.
CNG however disagreed saying the service chiefs have overstayed and argued that there were laws guiding the appointments of the service chiefs which must be followed to evolve the system of which the organisation intends to explore when they get to court.
Abdul-Azeez Suleiman, CNG’s spokesperson stated that,
“The CNG is going to court because we believe it is now no longer a question of performance, but one of legality on whether the service chiefs, who have overstayed their years of service should not be compelled to comply with the laws guiding the prevailing scheme of service in the country.
“We would seek interpretation from the courts on the applicability of the law that says if a public servant attains 60 years of age, he must retire, or if he covers 35-years in service, he should go.
“On moral grounds, CNG regrets that by any standard of judgement, President Muhammadu Buhari and his security chiefs as constituted today have failed the nation in the vital area of improving its security.
“We at the CNG have been consistent with our warnings that President Buhari lacked the will, his overstayed service chiefs lack the capacity, competence and commitment to lead Nigeria into a secure and prosperous future.
“It is shocking that in spite of unprecedented consensus among Nigerians that the administration requires a new resolve, approach and leadership in the fight against the nation’s multiple security challenges, President Buhari appears either totally isolated or in deep denial over the result of his service chiefs’ failures to secure Nigerians.”
