By Uzoma Agbai (Society & Governance Reporter)
The apex Igbo cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, says it supports the call by the National Assembly for the immediate removal of the current service chiefs, whose continued retention it views as unhealthy and no longer useful to the nation's security interest.
Ohanaeze Ndigbo, in a press statement on Thursday, said that the response by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, to the call was unacceptable and an insult to Nigerians who are receiving the brunt of the attacks and killings.
But President Muhammadu Buhari, however, insists that his administration would not take dictations from any individual or quarter, on whether or not, to sack or retain the present Service Chiefs working with him. The President reminded those who wants the exit of the Service Chiefs, that as president of Nigeria, he has more security information available to him than to anyone else, on the basis of which he would take appropriate actions in the best interest of the nation.
According to the President, if the Service Chiefs are found not to be performing up to expectation in terms of ensuring adequate internal security and safety of the citizens, it is therefore his prerogative as President who appointed them to determine whether their services are still required or not. Buhari however added that he has noted the concern of those calling for the removal of the nation's top security chiefs.
President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief John Nnia Nwodo, who disagreed with President Buhari's position, wondered why the Federal Government has remained intransigent on the service chiefs.
Reacting to the recent killing of Nigerian Army officers and soldiers by bandits in Katsina and five aid workers by Boko Haram, Nwodo regretted that innocent lives of young Nigerian men and women and even foreigners were being wasted daily due to the activities of the armed bandits and insurgents.
Ohanaeze asked what was special about the current service chiefs that made them indispensable, adding that it was unconstitutional to keep a worker in service long after he is due for retirement.
Nwodo observed that the continued retention of the service chiefs went against the grain of military service which he said breeds bad blood among the officers whose careers are stunted by the action. He said that it was not surprising that there are overt dissension in the military with soldiers resigning in their numbers due to dissatisfaction and disaffection coupled with the alleged corruption in the force.
The Ohaneze President General stated that the situation now suggests that there is more to their retention than the interest of the country which the Federal government needs to explain to Nigerians. NNL.
