Despite the incessant killings and kidnappings across the country, the National Assembly will not consider impeaching President Muhammadu Buhari, a senator, Sani Musa (APC, Niger East), has said.
This, he said, is because now is not the time and the country should be more focused on tackling insecurity.
Mr Musa made the comment to journalists at a press briefing shortly after plenary on Tuesday.
The press briefing was sequel to the Senate’s deliberation on activities of Boko Haram in some local governments in Niger State.
Mr Musa, who sponsored the motion, told his colleagues that 42 communities in the state are being controlled by Boko Haram insurgents.
His motion came barely 24 hours after the Niger State government confirmed that Boko Haram has hoisted its flags in Kaure and Shiroro local government areas of the state – about 140km to the Federal Capital Territory.
When asked why no lawmaker has brought a motion to move for the president’s impeachment, Mr Musa said every part of the country is challenged with insecurity and impeachment will only lead to another crisis.
“You and I know what impeachment is all about. Why do we need that now? What we need is solution.
“We need this country to come back to where we were in terms of peace. I’ll rather prefer a situation where all the operations of government is directed at security.
“I do not subscribe to a situation whereby, because we have the legislative powers to impeach, that we are bringing a motion for impeachment. No. This is not the time for a motion on impeachment .We are just at the mid-term of this administration. What we need now is to focus and see where we go,” he said.
He further said Nigeria’s main priority should be tackling insecurity because no one is safe.
“No leader, from councillor to the president, can sleep with two eyes closed.”
The lawmaker was also asked if he supports call for amnesty to bandits – and he responded in the negative.
“When the Niger Delta militants asked for amnesty, they agitated for good welfare. You hardly hear them go into the villages of the people they claim to protect and kill them.
“I do not subscribe to amnesty for criminals that keep killing people in the name of religion. It’s not religion, it’s not Islam.
“This is the holiest month where we supposed to be sober and reflect and…where peasant farmers cannot go to the farm and children cannot go to school.
What do you mean by amnesty?”
Earlier, the Senate mandated it’s leadership to meet with the president and brief him about insecurity in the country.ADVERTISEMENT
They resolved to invite the Chief of Army Staff, Ibrahim Attahiru, and heads of other security agencies for a meeting with the Senate.
The Senate Committees on Foreign Affairs and National Security were also mandated to meet with the minister of foreign affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, and the Director-General of the Nigerian Intelligence Agency, Ahmed Abubakar, on the regional implications of the insecurity in the country.
The security situation across Nigeria worsened last week with over 200 people killed and 44 others kidnapped in various incidents. The victims included civilians and security operatives.
Apart from the Boko Haram insurgency, bandits routinely kill and kidnap residents of many states in the North-west and North-central states while kidnapping for ransom is also common across southern states. Armed men also routinely attack security formations in the South-east and South-south states.
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