The Peoples Democratic Party, National Council of Tiv Youths and Middle Belt Youth Council have said that President Muhammadu Buhari has not been effectively monitoring security problems in the country.
The groups stated this on Tuesday, when they commented on the President’s remark in Benue State, that he was not aware that the Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, did not obey his order.
Buhari had in January ordered the IGP to relocate to Benue State following the killings by herdsmen in the state.
On Monday, stakeholders, at a meeting in Makurdi, told the President that the police boss did not spend 24 hours in the state.
The PDP, in a statement on Tuesday by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, criticised the President for trying to pass the buck to the IGP.
The party stated that the development had exposed Buhari’s lack of direct commitment to the security of Nigerians.
He said, “Nigerians have completely lost hope in President Muhammadu Buhari and his incompetent administration.
“By stating that he was unaware that the IGP only spent 24 hours in Benue State, Mr. President has confirmed that he has not been effectively monitoring the handling of the security situation of our nation.
“This places a huge question mark on the regular assurances issued from the Presidency on security. For our party, the PDP, the expression of President Buhari has once again vindicated our position that our nation has been placed on autopilot with a cabal pretending to be managing our affairs.
The party said Buhari had indicted himself, adding that such an unpardonable attitude to governance was directly responsible for the Buhari government’s below average performance on the economy.
The main opposition party asked the President to tell Nigerians how he reprimanded Idris in the past.
It stated, “Indeed, Nigerians need to know; what exactly did President Buhari, as the Commander-in-Chief, do when he realised that the IGP did not carry out his orders? We demand a direct answer from the Presidency.
“The fact is that there is no sense of remorse by the government as the President himself spent only two hours in Benue State without visiting the victims or even making any direct policy statement on those behind the killings and how to forestall future bloodletting. Rather, in the character of this government, Mr. President engaged in yet another blame game instead of facing issues.
“If the Presidency is not committed to monitoring critical issues such as security, then Nigerians are no longer in doubt as to why other sectors, particularly our once robust economy, had gone comatose under the Buhari administration.”
The party added that Nigerians were miffed that while the killings had yet to abate, the President announced his plans to return to Benue State to seek for another round of votes.
The action, he said, showed clinically that the President was truly not aware that Nigerians had since abandoned him in his state of unawareness.
On his part, the President of the National Council of Tiv Youths, Chief John Akperashi, said Buhari’s statement was highly regrettable.
He stated, “If indeed he was sincere about that statement, it then goes to expose the President’s colossal shortcomings and apparent security failure.
“It should indeed be worrisome and Nigerians should be concerned collectively that the security of their nation which should be paramount is brazenly undermined under this administration of President Buhari.”
Also, the President of the Middle Belt Youth Council, Emma Zopmal, said the visit was to test Buhari’s popularity.
He said, “Sensitive issues like this should not be taken with levity by Mr. President. In another case, it also means he does not really care about the whole dastardly situation that claimed lives and property of these innocent citizens.
“This levity on the side of Mr. President could be responsible for his absence at the mass burial of our people and without any representation.”