US terror alert: Ex-diplomats seek immediate restructuring of security architecture

Former Nigerian diplomats have appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to as a matter of national interest, immediately restructure the nation’s security architecture following an alert of the possible terror attack on the Federal Capital Territory,FCT.

They insisted that the possible way of averting the planned catastrophic actions by adversaries was to urgently relieve the National Security Adviser, NSA, Major General Babagana Monguno (rtd) and the service chiefs of their positions and subsequent appointment of efficient security officials to oversee security affairs.

The diplomats, who retired having served Nigeria both within and in foreign missions, blamed the president for emplacing a faulty security structure in the country, saying the resort of the president not only to regionalism but also to ethnic and nepotistic considerations brought Nigeria to its current security situation.

Operating under the aegis of the Forum of Retired Diplomats in Nigeria (FRDN), the diplomats insisted that it was time for the president to do away with the above-mentioned considerations for the country to move forward.

In a statement, Saturday, by their National Coordinator, Ambassador Ibrahim Gambo Kazaure, the former diplomats insisted that the current security arrangements put in place by President Muhammadu had rather worsened Nigeria’s security system.

The group bemoaned the statement credited to the federal government through its spokesman and Minister of Information, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, to the effect that the alert by the United States government was not established fact.

Recall that the United States had early in the week, issued travel advisories to its citizens of possible terror attacks in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

The United States Government followed up by granting authorised departure status to its citizens in Abuja, permitting voluntary departure of family members and certain employees of its embassy in Abuja due to the heightened risk of terrorist attacks.

But reacting to it, the federal government through the Minister of Information, dismissed the alert, insisting that citizens and non-citizens alike are safe in Nigeria.

He said: “On this so-called travel advisory, as far as we’re concerned, as a government, we have in the last few months taken a firm handle of security. But I want to reassure all citizens and non-Nigerians living in the country, that security agencies are on top of this matter.”

In their reaction to the development through the statement, the former diplomats tasked Buhari to do the needful by immediately restructuring the entire security architecture of the country beginning with an immediate sack of NSA Monguno and service chiefs.

They said: “As diplomats who had served our country meritoriously within and outside our foreign missions at different times in history, we wish to appeal to President Muhammadu Buhari to take the alert of the possible terror attack on Nigeria seriously that we have seen from him so far.

“We have watched with keen interest the posture of the federal government since the alert by the United States Government, we wish to state that given our passion for our dear country, we are visibly worried about the posture of the federal administration toward the development

“Watching from the vantage position given where we had variously worked before retirement, we humbly appeal to President Muhammadu Buhari to as a matter of national interest, sack the National Adviser, NSA Monguno and the security chiefs.

“This should be immediately followed by a sweeping reform in the security sector through the restructuring of the entire security architecture. This becomes necessary given that the security network in the country has collapsed. “

Continuing, the Ex- diplomats said: “The dilapidated and hopeless security situation in the country without any reasonable action by authorities to stop the slide is indeed worrisome to us.”

“As elder statesmen who have served in several capacities within and outside the country, we were careful not to speak earlier so as not to be tagged wailers. However, at this point, our silence is no longer golden, hence the need for this press release.

“The security of our dear and beloved country Nigeria today is the worst in the last 60 years and may get worse if something drastic is not done immediately to restructure the entire security architecture and restore public confidence nationally and internationally.

” Nigeria may become a shadow of itself in the next month if urgent steps are not taken.

“We expect President Muhammadu Buhari not only to have long before now, sacked the National Security Adviser and all the service chiefs but also replaced them with competent and committed personnel.

“Their continued retention in the face of the current security situation despite clarion calls to that effect by respected and patriotic Nigerians has given us cause for concern.

“From what we have seen so far, the NSA and the service chiefs have shown us glaringly that they have no solutions to end the deteriorating insecurity situation in the country.

“The current security managers of the country have failed woefully and urgent action must be taken against them without further delay,” they added.

The group said, “The recent and current security threat alert by America, the UK and other governments have a grave consequence on our country in every area of our growth. It has also put our economy, food security, GDP, and foreign exchange under serious pressure. It has sent us several miles away from foreign aid and counterpart.”

“The only way the foreign nations and even Nigeria can take us seriously again is the restructuring of the country’s security by beginning with an immediate sack of the current NSA and service chiefs. Anything short of this will also continue to portray us as being unserious,” they reiterated.

(Vangard)