Insecurity: 42 CSOs ask Buhari to step aside or face impeachment

A coalition of 42 civil society organizations, on Monday, called on President Muhammadu Buhari to tackle insecurity or risk impeachment.

The CSOs warned that they would prevail on the National Assembly to trigger the impeachment process if Buhari failed to act.

The coalition includes BudgiT Foundation Youth Initiative for Advocacy, Growth & Advancement (YIAGA), Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD) and others.

Mr Jaiye Gaskia, of United Action for Democracy, UAD while delivering the brief on behalf of the CSOs, condemned the reports of alleged payment of ransom to bandits in exchange for the release of kidnapped Nigerians.

“Where the President fails to fulfil his constitutional duties as stated above, we demand he step aside or the National Assembly initiates impeachment proceedings against him on grounds of gross misconduct as provided for in Section 143 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” the statement reads in part.

The CSOs also urged the government to seek international cooperation in the fight against criminals and terrorists.

Furthermore, the CSOs also condemned the statement by the Minister of Defence, Bashir Salihi Magashi who called on Nigerians to defend themselves.

“The government, through the Minister of Defence, has instead callously abdicated its responsibility and called Nigerian citizens ‘cowards’ and urged Nigerians to defend themselves.

“We condemn, in the strongest possible terms, what has now become the government’s standard state policy of using taxpayers’ money to pay terrorists thereby funding and encouraging terrorism and criminality.

“President Buhari and his government have failed in their primary duty under Section 14 2(b) of the 1999 Constitution, which is ensuring the security and welfare of the Nigerian people. Instead, under their watch, Nigeria is now a catalogue of bloodletting,” they added.