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Boko Haram: Let’s Provide Leadership for our troops in Borno endangered Areas, Senator Karimi counsel Ndume
Karimi
… Says We should lead military to battlefield, Kogi Senator challenges colleagues
A Senator has suggested a dramatic twist to the war against insurgency on Thursday, saying that it was high time senators led soldiers in the battlefield to fight Boko Haram.
Senator Karimi Sunday (APC Kogi-West) told the Senate that it was no longer enough passing resolutions every day, asking the military and the Federal Government to find solutions to insecurity.
He said a practical solution was for all political leaders, particularly the senators themselves, to do more than criticise the efforts of the government but to lead soldiers in the battlefield.
“We are all part of the federal government. Our military is overwhelmed, and they are trying their best.
“I believe that as leaders, we too can support them by going to the battlefield. We should lead them like the Chadian President (Idris Deby) did in the fight against insurgents in his country.
“I am not saying that our own President should lead, but we can do our own bit; we are leaders too,” he said.
Senator Sunday, who was contributing to the debate on yet another motion on insurgency in Borno State, also suggested that senators could use their zonal intervention project funds to provide security infrastructure in their communities as a way of supporting the efforts of the government.
“I have spoken with my colleague (Sen. Ali Ndume) a number of times. Look, there can be a kind of legislative intervention in terms of building the military bases we talk about, using our constituency projects.”
His suggestions came as the motion, which was sponsored by the Chief Whip of the Senate, Sen. Mohammed Monguno (APC, Borno-North), called on the Nigerian Armed Forces to establish a “super camp” at Guzamala Local Government Area of Borno State.
The motion also called for adequate mobilisation of personnel to secure Abadam and Marte local government areas, said to be completely under the control of Boko Haram insurgents.
Monguno acknowledged that peace was gradually returning to other parts of Borno State owing to the work of the military but drew attention to Marte, Abadam, and Guzamala, which “do not have any civil authority in place nor military presence.”
He added, “The absence of military personnel in the area may cause the insurgents to become more emboldened and attempt to capture surrounding communities, thus ruining the previous efforts by the government to secure the state.”
On his part, Ndume, a former chairman, Senate Committee on the Army, informed the Senate that the terrorists who regrouped in Marte, Abadam, and Guzamala were the same group chased out of Chad by Chadian forces.
He stated that the group simply settled down in the Nigerian border communities because the members knew there was no strong military presence there.
Ndume called for the deployment of far more superior firepower, including attack helicopters to check the terrorists.
“Today, it is Borno State; we have to be careful. It is spreading, and it can get to Kano tomorrow.
“It can spread further to other areas in the country; they are already in Sokoto and Kebbi,” he added.
Several senators also harped on the same point, urging for immediate military action against the insurgents.
