Prominent northern politicians have taken to tackling each other over national security issues as Senator Shehu Sani who represented Kaduna Central in the 8th National Assembly told the two-time governor of Jigawa State, Sule Lamido, to appreciate how the present administration tackled insecurity instead of politicising issue in his comment on the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu.
Sani’s reaction was sequel to Lamido’s condemnation of National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu for projecting the achievement recorded so far in tackling security challenges across the country.
Ribadu who was emboldened by the achievement claim cautioned anyone “not to dare Tinubu,” a statement that drew the ire of the former Jigawa State governor and chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.
Posting on X, Lamido wrote: “Late Umar Shinkafi, Gen Abdullahi Mohammed, late Rafindadi, Sama’ila Gwarzo, Gen. Aliyu Gusau, and Gen. Sarki Mukhtar, Col. Dasuki and Gen. Monguno.
“These are those I can recollect and they all share something in common. They were all mature professionals, disciplined, competent, and not loquacious; above all anonymous and were never flippant. They were all very thorough because they never had a moral problem. The current National Security Advisor understandably has a moral problem, which is a huge burden to carry.
“By way of reminder, the current NSA was the Chairman of the EFCC under the regime of President Obasanjo. Even at then, he was known to be loquaciously flippant. In his characteristic arrogance, he used his office to intimidate and malign political officeholders, just like he now frequently threatens people with court action over any opinion expressed about his office.
“Against all the known Fulani unforgettable mind of vengeance, he greedily accepted Tinubu’s offer. That singular mistake derobed Ribadu of his cloth of honour and character for agreeing to run on party of the man he once described as the most corrupt.
“By the same greed, Ribadu is today serving in the Government of the people he called the most corrupt. Tinubu as President, Akume as SGF and Kalu as ranking senator; indeed, like Ribadu is taking more than pound of your own flesh in revenge. Remove the fear in him, so that he can serve you better as your security advisor rather than Minister of Information.”
Reacting, Shehu Sani carpeted the former governor in a statement on Friday in Abuja, saying there should be a credit and a commendation for an administration that inherited multi-faceted security challenges, but which has been reduced to the barest minimum, wondering how the elderly statesman failed to acknowledge the many triumphs of government in bandits hotbed regions in the north.
Sani who served in the upper legislative Chamber in the 8th National Assembly, said he witnessed the appropriation budget allocated to security, which unfortunately did not abate security challenges before now, expressing that Nuhu Ribadu has achieved what many of his predecessors have failed to accomplish despite the hundreds of billions spent in the name of defence and security in the past.
According to him, bandits have been neutralised to a large extent, thus encouraging government in this direction until total victory should have been ideal rather than playing haywire politics, which he said may not help the yet-volatile situation in the North.
Sani said: “Neutralisation of top bandit leaders, end to mass abductions of students in northern schools, securing rail lines and major northern highways hitherto notorious for kidnappings. The prompt response to terrorist attacks on power lines is worth mentioning.
“Security challenges are not over but in all indices of comparison, he has performed better and set unprecedented records. His political critics are fully entitled to their views, but his delivery on his mandate is unparalleled.”