Billy Graham Abel, Yola
The senator representing southern Adamawa, Binos Dauda Yeroe, has called for the immediate removal of the service chiefs in the country over a nationwide security implosion.
Binos pointed out that the security chiefs were only successful in supervising over an era of wanton killings and mayhem and that their long and unnecessary stay, has only led to frustration within the ranks of military accompanied by barrenness of ideas to deal with the security threats crippling the country.
Binos made remarks over the weekend during an interview with some selected Newsmen at Mayo Belwa, Adamawa state.
Binos said that the service chiefs have become like “thin gods” and are bereft of any idea to deal with the security situation bedeviling the country.
Binos explained that, “The security chiefs have over stayed and have become like thin gods.
“The national assembly felt deeply about the security issues bedevlling the country and we had cause to invite the security chiefs.
“We also had cause to dedicate two days to debate the issue of insecurity in the country and at the end of the day we set up an adhoc committee chaired by the senate leader which met and came up with resolutions.
“And these resolutions have been passed to the executive and if it requires funding, the senate would ensure it would be done.”
The senator strongly insisted that, “In my own contribution, I observed that the service chiefs who were appointed since 2015 have been allowed to stay in office even with the increased insecurity we are having in the country.
“So, they have become like thin gods in their services, demoralising the upcoming officers beneath them.
“If you have been in the office for five to six years, the military have a tradition called age on rank, which would require for your retirement by attaining a particular age or rank, even if you are still strong and good.
“It simply means, if the officers ahead of you don’t leave, you cannot grow.
“Because of that, for example, all the mates of the service chiefs have left the service leaving them with officers that are by far their juniors creating a situation where even if things are not going well, they may not be able to look them in the eye and tell them the truth for fear that they may loose their jobs.
“There is the urgent need to remove this service chiefs and bring in new people with new ideas.
“They say if you keep doing the same over and over and expect a different result, that would be the definition of insanity.”
Speaking on the perennial flooding bedevlling his constituency he said, “The major cause of flooding here in the Benue basin is the release of water from the Lagdo dam in Cameroon.
“Our communities were affected by these floodings in 2012 and in 2019.
“We have been working on a permanent solution with my colleague in the senate on the need for the construction of a buffer Dam, most likely in the central part of Adamawa.
“Because it affects the entire river basin of the Benue, stretching from Taraba north, Northern part of Benue state and the central and southern parts of Adamawa.
“So, it is not something that I can do alone, so I and Sen.Binani, will work to ensure that the project is included in the 2021 budget.
“I will work closely with Senator Binani and we will be counting on the support of other senators from Taraba north and Benue north to achieve this goal.”
Reflecting on his committement as a legislator to his constituents, Binos outlined some of the progress recorded in his constituency saying, “I will like to reflect on the specific promises I made to my constituents while campaigning for this office.
“During my campaign, I promised that I will represent them effectively, fighting for their cause and speaking on their behalf before the national assembly and if there is anything that is legitimately theirs, I will fight and ensure they have it.
“And based on these, I think I have tried to keep to my campaign promises as best as I can.
” While in the senate, I have been involved in a lot of motions in the Senate especially the motion to convert the university into conventional university so that it can offer courses like medicine, I co-sponsored that motion.
“And during the incident of flooding in the state, where relief materials were distributed but was not extended to Adamawa south and when I was not making progress in my direct approach to the Director General of NEMA, I tendered a motion before the Senate that compelled him to distribute relief materials to my zone.
“Recently also, I tendered a motion before the Senate on the recent conflict affecting my zone in Tingno, where people were displaced, demanding that relief materials be sent.
“I have also re-presented the bill forwarded by my predecessor for the establishment of the School of Forestry in Toungo and the School of Mining and Geophysics at Guyuk, and it has been read the first time.
“In the 2019 budget, my predecessor had included the provision of motorised borehole and money were not released until after the 2020 budget presentation by the president.
“We were at Demsa, Numan and Jada to supervise these projects.
“After pursuing the funds for these projects, I ensured they were situated where there are needs for the water and where survey shows there are sufficient water.
“I have also constructed two boreholes at Wuro Abbo and Bille as part of my personal contributions to my community.”
Binos added that, “I have also organised two successful medical outreaches, one at Demsa and another at Ganye, to provide quality healthcare interventions for members of my constituency who could not afford the cost of the Medicare as we all know, even the president when he was ill, he had to take time to get medical help, so health is a priority project for me.
“I have also set up an entrepreneurship scheme for youths in my constituency where five participants were drawn from each of the nine local governments that constitute my zone and have been trained in various entrepreneurship skills and some of them have already accessed grants to start their businesses.
“The idea is to encourage self reliance instead of waiting endlessly for government jobs that are no longer there.
“Because even the most successful enterprenuers globally, started small.
“I have also launched a scholarship scheme for students in my zone, my goal is to sponsor at least three hundred students at various tertiary institutions within my four year term as a senator.
“This year, we aim to enlist about fifty students for the scholarship.
“We have already issued out the forms, we would process them and determine the eligible candidates.”