Emotional Adeyemi, Ekweremadu ask FG to seek help on insecurity, say Nigeria on fire

The Senator representing Kogi West Senatorial District, Smart Adeyemi, on Tuesday betrayed his emotion and wept openly over the escalating insecurity in the country.

Adeyemi, who was making a contribution to a motion on insecurity sponsored by a Senator from Niger State, Sani Mohammed Musa, broke down during plenary and wept profusely over sustained devastation by criminals across the country.

Musa, who came under Order 42 and 52 of the Senate Standing Rules, had pointed out that Boko Haram terrorists have taken over three local government areas of Niger State.

He added his voice to calls for President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration to declare a state of emergency on insecurity.

In his contribution, Adeyemi admitted that the Nigerian security system has collapsed and innocent citizens were at the receiving end of the criminals’ onslaught on the country.

He said: “It is foolhardy at this time for the government to pretend about its helplessness. Our lawmakers are also not helping matters as we continue to be partisan on security issues.

“Mr. President, insecurity is a serious problem today in Nigeria, and there comes a time where we can do nothing, but to speak the truth, irrespective of sentiment.

“Today, Mr. President, all of us are being threatened. A lot had been said, Mr. President, and I want to thank you for giving us time to speak expressly on this issue.

“We need not run away from the fact that more than ever before in the history of our nation, this is the worst instability so far and because of insecurity in our nation, today there are of lot misgivings; there are a lot of misinterpretations.

“America, as powerful as they are, when pandemic came through China they woke up to their responsibilities. We shouldn’t pretend that we don’t need foreign support.

“Let nobody deceive us, Mr. President. several millions of naira had been put into security services and nothing is coming out of it.

“We shouldn’t wait until our nation get burnt. Let us get up and call for foreign support. I am APC and I have been supporting our party, but let the President know that we who support APC could no longer keep quiet.

“The President must rise to the occasion. The nation is on fire; the President must rise to the occasion. It cost us nothing to get foreign support. We must rise to the occasion by speaking the truth to save this country or else we will be consumed.

READ ALSO: Buhari overwhelmed by Nigeria’s worsening insecurity, needs help – Saraki

“We cannot keep quiet any longer. It has gotten to a level that we can no longer sleep with our eyes closed. Our children are not free. The President must rise to the occasion.

“The situation in our security system has collapsed; it has failed, because it has failed, we need foreign support, it costs Nigeria nothing. Forget the ego.”

The ex-Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, who also spoke on the motion, said any government that fails to protect its citizens has lost its legitimacy.

He said the federal government should not be ashamed to seek foreign support in the fight against insecurity.

He called for the shutdown of Niger State and the Senate to deal with the problem just as the country was shut down during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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