War Against Insurgency: Senate Resolutions are no longer enough: Sen. Sunday Karimi
… Says it is time for action
The Senator representing Kogi West Senatorial District and Senate Committee Chairman on Senate Services, Sunday Karimi has suggested a dramatic step towards putting to an end the war against insurgency in the northeast region of the country.
He disclosed this on Thursday while contributing to the debate on the lingering security challenges in the areas, saying that it is high time senators led soldiers in the battlefield to fight Insurgency.
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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 in order to reduce the activities of the outlawed organizations to the barest minimum.
He said a practical solution was for all political leaders, particularly the senators themselves, to do more than criticize 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 mobilization 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.
