Pascal Arogorn Ibe
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has advised President Muhamadu Buhari to declare a state of emergency on security as well as suspend boarding schools in the north as part of measures to curb the growing insecurity .
He , however , said the elected political structure at the local and state levels should be left intact .
Atiku gave the advice in response to the recent abduction of school children by unknown gunmen in Katsina , on Saturday.
This was contained in a statement titled : “ Time For Better Strategies To Secure Nigeria , ” which he signed in Abuja .
He condemned the abduction of a large number of students at the Government Science Secondary School, Kankara in Katsina State , in the strongest terms possible , noting that it was a very unwelcome escalation of the spate of insecurity in the nation .
Atiku said , “ I sympathise with the parents of the abducted children and the government and people of Katsina , my adopted home state and home of my late benefactor, Tafida Shehu Musa Yar ’ adua. I pray for their safe return .
“ While I urge our nation ’ s law enforcement agencies to immediately swing to action and rescue the missing students , I am nevertheless conscious of the fact that we cannot continue to be reactionary in our response to the growing insecurity in Nigeria . Something has to give .
“ I , therefore , call on the Federal Government to immediately declare a state of emergency in states bedeviled by banditry and terrorism, for an offensive and decisive war on terror and insecurity .
“ For the avoidance of doubt , the emergency I call for should follow the steps prescribed by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 ( as amended) , and case law , by leaving all democratically elected state and local government structures intact . “
The statement further read , “ The rationale is quite simple : We cannot win the war on terror by continuing with the same strategies we have deployed over the last five years. That they have not worked is very glaring , with the Government Science Secondary School, Kankara incidence being the latest in a long line of proofs .
“ If we must get better results , we must implement better strategies. Strategies that may have to include the temporary stoppage of the boarding school system , in favour of a day students approach , until the situation is brought under control.
“ Strategies that must include 24 hours armed military guard for each school in the affected states .
“ No sacrifice is too great to make to return law and order to the affected communities , and that must be the singular focus of the Federal Government until this menace is eradicated. ”
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