Former Chief of Defence Staff, General Abayomi Gabriel Olonisakin and former Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Yusuf Buratai (rtd) have rejoined the fight against Boko Haram/Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP) terrorism and banditry with their appointments as Ambassadors-Designate to the Republics of Benin Republic and Cameroon.
Both Generals Olonisakin and Buratai received their letters of credence on Tuesday from the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Geoffrey Onyeama, at a ceremony at the Ministry’s headquarters, Tafawa Balewa House, Abuja.
While President Muhammadu Buhari posted Buratai to the Republic of Benin, Olonisakin was posted to the Republic of Cameroon.
In his remarks at the ceremony, Mr Onyeama congratulated the former CDS and Service Chief, urging them to deploy their wealth of experience to promote Nigeria’s interest during their tour of duty in their countries of accreditation.
Buratai and Olonisakin pledged to do their best to justify the confidence reposed in them.
Alongside the duo, former Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete E. Ibas; former Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique B. Abubakar and former Chief of Defence Intelligence (CDI), Air Vice Marshal Muhammad S. Usman were also nominated and cleared by the Senate.
They were removed from office on January 25, 2021 and were subsequently nominated as non-career Ambassadors by President Muhammadu Buhari in February.
It is expected that Air Marshal Abubakar and AVM Usman would be posted to Niger and Chad.
In the same vein, Admiral Ibas is expected to be deployed to any of the Gulf of Guinea member-nations.
What is striking is that the Republics of Benin, Cameroon, Chad and Niger, along with Nigeria, are all members of the Lake Chad Basin Commission and troop contributing countries to the Multi-National Joint Task Force (MNJTF).
The MNJTF is mandated with restoring a safe and secure environment through increased regional cooperation in the Chad Basin affected by Boko Haram/ISWAP.
Its total strength is around 10,000 uniformed elements, including around 250 soldiers from Benin. The Force has its Headquarter in N’Djamena, Chad and is structured into four sectors. Each sector disposes of own headquarter, based in Mora/Cameroon, Bagasola/Chad, Diffa/Niger and Baga/Nigeria. The MNJTF also includes a civilian component.
David Otto Endeley, an International Security & Terrorism Consultant/Researcher, while hailing the appointments, said that “the wealth of experience of the ex-Service Chiefs and the need for regional collaboration and coordination against all forms of cross border insecurity challenges is required at this critical moment.”