The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Tuesday described the appointment of a new Chief of Defence Staff and Service Chiefs by President Muhammadu Buhari as “rather late in the day,” demanding the immediate probe into the tenure of the former Service Chiefs.
Saying that “much harm had already been done to our national security,” PDP said that the probe must “unravel the circumstances behind the security lapses and compromises as well as accusation of involvement in the alleged looting of funds meant for the equipping and welfare of our troops in the front.”
Meanwhile, former President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief Nnia Nwodo, has expressed disappointment at President Buhari’s for excluding the Igbos among the newly appointed military Chiefs.
President Buhari had on Tuesday accepted the retirements of Chief of Defence Staff, General Abayomi Olonisakin; Chief of Army Staff, Lt-Gen. Tukur Buratai; Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ibok Ekwe Ibas; and Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar.
In their place, Major General Leo Irabor was appointed Chief of Defence Staff; Major General Ibrahim Attahiru, Chief of Army Staff; Rear Admiral A.Z Gambo, Chief of Naval Staff; and Air-Vice Marshal Isiaka O. Amao, Chief of Air Staff.
The inquest into the over five year tenure of the former military Chiefs, the party noted, “must be the first step towards sanitizing the security architecture as well as lifting the morale of those in the frontlines risking their lives for the security of our nation.”
The leading opposition party regretted that “the belated replacement of the outgoing wearied Service Chiefs after much damage to our nation shows President Buhari as a leader who has always refused to heed to wise counsel by well-meaning Nigerians but continually leads our country to a dire strait.”
In the statement by its Spokesperson, Kola Ologbondiyan, the PDP stated that “such unpatriotic, self-conceited and narrow-minded approach to leadership is responsible for the escalated insecurity and avoidable mass loss of lives; economic recession with excruciating hardship as well as widened divisions in our land under Buhari’s watch.
“If Mr. President had acted when our party and other well-meaning Nigerians including the two chambers of the National Assembly impressed upon him to do so, the security situation in the country would not have degenerated to this abysmal level.
“We hope President Buhari uses this as a turning point to learn to listen to wise counsel and not always set our nation on the path of destruction before acting.
Nevertheless, our party expresses hope that the new service chiefs will brace up to the challenges of our nation and note that their appointment at this time, more than at any other point in time, in our national history, demands a huge sense of commitment, responsibility and determination to secure our nation and restore peace, order and national cohesiveness in our polity.
“Our party urges the new service chiefs to take urgent steps to restore professionalism, boost the morale of our troops and ensure not to fall into the indolence, corruption, recklessness, abuse of process and partisanship that characterized the tenure of the last service chiefs.
“The new commanders must note that Nigerians are looking up to them as professionals to remove terrorists, bandits and other outlaws ravaging our nation from our landscape.
“Furthermore, the PDP demands an immediate inquest into the tenure of the last service chiefs to unravel the circumstances behind the security lapses and compromises as well as accusation of involvement in the alleged looting of funds meant for the equipping and welfare of our troops in the front.
“Our party insists that such must be the first step towards sanitizing the security architecture as well as lifting the morale of those in the frontlines risking their lives for the security of our nation.”
Former Ohanaeze Ndigbo President, Chief Nnia Nwodo, posited that Buhari’s action was an obvious expression of disdain on the Igbo people and clear belief and statement by him that Igbos are unfit to head of any Nigerian military services.
Said Nwodo, “General Buhari, thanks for making us in Igboland feel, once more, that we are not fit to head any of the Security services.”
