•Nigerians not in position to assess new service chiefs –Adesina
•PDP knocks Buhari, says appointment of new service chiefs late
•Ex-service chiefs didn’t fail –Presidency
•Former service chiefs should be investigated by ICC, says Fayose
•Wike, PANDEF hail Buhari over service chiefs sack
Ibe Pascal Arogorn
A former Theatre Commander of operation Lafiya Dole, Major General Ibrahim Attahiru , who was removed by the Nigerian Army High Command for failing to stop Boko Haram in 2017, has been elevated to the position of Chief of Army Staff by President Muhammadu Buhari
The BBC had reported in 2017 how the then Chief of Army Staff , Lt. Gen Tukur Buratai , had given Attahiru 40 days to capture Boko Haram leader , Abubakar Shekau , dead or alive. Attahiru ’ s failure to live up to expectations saw him being removed without any posting .
However, none of the officers who later took up Attahiru ’ s office have been able to capture Shekau till date .
Attahiru ’ s tenure as theatre commander was characterised by several failures and a spike in terrorist attacks .
In May 2017, Attahiru took over the theatre command from Major General Lucky Irabor who is now the Chief of Defence Staff . However , suicide bombings and attacks on military formations increased drastically.
In June , barely a month after he took over , Boko Haram insurgents attacked Maiduguri , the Borno State capital.
The month after, a group of geologists and technologists from the University of Maiduguri were ambushed by Boko Haram insurgents at Magumeri area of Borno state. About 12 soldiers who escorted the academics were reportedly killed.
Some members of staff of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation on the team were also killed in the brutal ambush.
Boko Haram , using four female suicide bombers , attacked Muna Gari , a suburb of Maiduguri , killing about 14 persons.
Nigerians not in position to assess new service chiefs –Adesina
Femi Adesina , the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to President Muhammadu Buhari says Nigerians are not in position to assess the competence or suitability of the new service chiefs appointed by his principal .
“ You and I would not be able to assess them because we are civilians. To use the word of the military , we are bloody civilians. We would not know . So , we are not in a position to assess these service chiefs and why they were appointed , ” Adesina said Tuesday on
Channels Television’ s Politics Today programme
PDP knocks Buhari, says appointment of new service chiefs late
Opposition Peoples Democratic Party has lampooned President Muhammadu Buhari saying he acted late in appointing new service chiefs , “ after much damage has been done ” .
The party also demanded the probe of the four immediate -past service chiefs to unravel the circumstances behind the security lapses during their tenure.
The ex – service chiefs are General Abayomi Gabriel Olonisakin ( Chief of Defence Staff ); Lt. Gen . Tukur Buratai ( Chief of Army Staff ); Vice Admiral Ibok Ibas ( Chief of Naval Staff ); and Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar ( Chief of Air Staff ) .
“ 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 sure step towards sanitizing the security architecture as well as lifting the morale of those in the front lines risking their lives for the security of our nation , ” the party said in a statement on Tuesday.
The statement signed by the party’ s National Publicity Secretary , Kola Ologbondiyan , was titled, ‘ Appointment of New Service Chiefs Late But……. , Says PDP …Demands Probe of Buratai , Others ’ .
The statement partly read , “ The party says 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 .
“ 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 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 PDP, therefore , charged the new commanders to remove terrorists , bandits and other outlaws ravaging the country nation from its landscape .
Don’t expect new service chiefs to perform magic, Reps tell Nigerians
The House of Representatives has hailed President Muhammadu Buhari for demanding the resignation of the service chiefs and appointing their replacements .
The House , however , urged Nigerians not to expect magic from the new service chiefs .
Chairman of the House Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Benjamin Kalu , in an audio statement issued on Tuesday in reaction to the development, said the executive arm of the Federal Government had finally listened to the demand of Nigerians.
Kalu said Nigerians had spoken through various resolutions by the House, some of which called for a change of the service chiefs and rejigging of the nation ’ s security architecture .
He said , “ On the question as to what the House feels about the new appointments and the acceptance of the resignation of the former service chiefs ; yes , the House feels glad that once again , the executive has considered the opinion , desire , ambition, hunger and yearning of the people in making this decision .
“ As we all know , the definition of democracy has to do with the government of the people by the people and for the people. The last part of this definition, which is the ‘ for the people’ element , ought to be the guiding light in processing decisions made by those in leadership. The question should be: how much of these decisions have the ‘ for the people’ element ?
“ I can assure you that this is what has propelled the House of Representatives , over these years and months of yearning, through motions and resolutions, on the need to shake a little bit, our security architecture to reflect a more secure country, lives , and property . This is why we have pushed for it.
“ Though it appeared that the executive was not listening , I am sure that today , they have shown Nigerians that they are a listening leadership. They have accepted the resignation of the service chiefs , whom we appreciate and we thank so well for wearing our national colours and badges for protecting our lives and property the way they knew best . ”
According to him , the security might have been worse if the former service chiefs were not in charge.
The House ’ s spokesman , however , noted that the new service chiefs would spend “ a new energy” , with a different focus , strategy and tactic.
Kalu added , “ As Nigerians , we should not expect them to be magicians and the messiahs . What we should expect from these ones is the need to put the people first as they process their own decisions .
“ In support of that , we should give them encouragement and extend a hand of friendship and partnership , and give them support to enable them to work as a team and achieve the objectives that all of us have been longing for . This is the only way that they will perform very well . Our support is a fundamental aspect of their success. ”
Nwodo faults Buhari over non-inclusion of Igbo
The newly-appointed Coordinator of the Southern and Middle Belt Forum, SMBF, and immediate past President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief Nnia Nwodo, has expressed shock and disappointment at President Muhammadu Buhari’s exclusion of Igbo in the appointment of the new Service Chiefs.
Nwodo insinuated that Buhari’s action was an obvious expression of disdain for the Igbo people and a statement that suggests that no Igbo is fit to head any Nigerian security agency.
President Buhari had, Tuesday, sacked Service Chiefs and immediately replaced them with new ones, which did not include any Igbo man or woman.
The appointed new Service Chiefs include Major-General Leo Irabor, Chief of Defence Staff; Major-General I Attahiru, Chief of Army Staff; Rear Admiral AZ Gambo, Chief of Naval Staff; and Air-Vice Marshal IO Amao, Chief of Air Staff.
Nwodo, in an immediate and brief reaction to the announcement, said: “Gen Buhari, thanks for making us in Igboland feel, once more, that we are not fit to head any of the Security services.”
He failed to make further remark.
Wike, PANDEF hail Buhari over service chiefs sack
The Rivers State Governor , Nyesom Wike , and the Pan Niger Delta Forum ( PANDEF) have lauded President Muhammadu Buhari for the sacking of the service chiefs and the appointment of new ones .
Wike in a statement by the State Commissioner for Information and Communications , Paulinus Nsirim, though the appointment was belated, it shows the President was listening to calls for their sack.
The Governor said even though the appointments came late , the President should be commended for listening to the voice of the people .
He challenged the new appointees to see their appointments as an opportunity to re- engineer the nation ’ s security architecture which has suffered a tremendous setback in the last five years.
The statement reads , “ The new Service Chiefs should not politicize security by aligning with politicians. What the country needs now is competence and professionalism that will reduce insecurity to the barest minimum. ”
Wike noted that Nigerians who lost confidence in the former Service Chiefs are looking up to the new appointees to make the desired change and called on all levels of government to give the new appointees the needed support they would require to execute their assignments .
“ This is an opportunity to serve the nation and I believe that the Service Chiefs will be focused and dedicated , ” the statement added .
Similarly , spokesman for PANDEF, Ken Robinson , in a statement welcomes the appointment of the new Service Chiefs and the sacking of their predecessors, saying the sacking was long overdue.
“ Though the sack of the erstwhile Service Chiefs was long overdue, we commend President for finally responding to calls by well -meaning Nigerians. We congratulate the new Service Chiefs while hoping that they would discharge their duties and responsibilities professionally , without biases and tendencies, n the best interest of the country.
“ PANDEF, however , quizzes Mr . President ’ s plaudits on the outgone Service Chiefs given their evident failure to deliver on their various mandates , amidst worsening state of insecurity in the country , ” the statement added .
Insecurity: Catholic Bishops want Service Chiefs to allow Amotekun, others thrive
The Catholic Bishops, on Tuesday, appealed to the Nigerians to prevail on the new Service Chiefs to allow alternative and lawful initiatives established for protecting life and property such as Operation Amotekun to thrive in the country.
They also want the authorities to support and optimise such initiatives as complementary security outfits for the benefit of the people.
The Bishops of the Ibadan Ecclesiastical Province, which comprises; Ibadan Archdiocese, Ilorin, Ondo, Oyo, Ekiti, and Osogbo Dioceses, made the appeal in a communique sent to journalists by the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria, Abuja at the end of their meeting.
The communique co-signed by Most Rev. Gabriel Abegunrin (President), and Most Rev. John Oyejola (Secretary) identified with the ongoing effort of the governors of Southwest to regulate the activities of Fulani herdsmen within the region, noting that insincerity, selfish interests and lack of political will had in the past, caused avoidable security challenges and untold pain on people.
It reads, “We parade a Nigerian Army that has not been able to effectively check the atrocities of Boko Haram for over a decade.
“How does one deny the allegation that kidnapping and banditry are abetted by the government when even State governments pay bandits and herdsmen as a means of placating them? How can we claim to have a Nigeria Police, when the body is no longer trusted to protect the same people it was set up to serve in many parts of the country?
“It is frustrating to see Governors, constitutionally empowered as the first security officers of their States, being impeded and rendered ineffective by mitigating actions and pronouncements allegedly made on behalf of the Federal government, when they take lawful steps to respond to security needs in their States.
“Such manner of governance, that exerts itself to protect the interest of a segment of the population at the expense of the security of life and property of the majority, makes the emergence of militias and self-appointed messiahs inevitable.
“We, therefore, join all well-meaning Nigerians who have called on the authorities to allow alternative and lawful initiatives which are established for protecting life and property like the South West Security Network (SWSN), codenamed Amotekun, to thrive.
“Such initiatives deserve to be supported and optimised as a complimentary security organization for the benefit of the people in different parts of Nigeria.
“We identify with the ongoing effort of the governors of some South Western States to regulate the activities of Fulani herdsmen within the zone and for the communique issued after their recent meeting with stakeholders.
“We note that insincerity, selfish interests and lack of political will had in the past, caused needless destruction of life and property and inflicted untold pain and hardship on innocent citizens.
“However, our Governors must shun deceptive adulations and empty promises on issues that impact the security of life and property.
“They must work with the security agencies to courageously implement the law in all cases and sanction those who blatantly and murderously flout it in their territories. No Nigerian or foreigner should be above the law in any part of the country.
“We plead with the Federal and State governments to fulfill, the promises made in the wake of the protests and not to ignore the reasons why the protests occurred, as normally happens in Nigeria.
“We appeal to religious and public organizations and citizens to kindly provide empowerment and employment for our teeming youth population so that we can thus partner with the government to reduce youth restiveness in our country.
“Until and unless Nigeria enthrones the culture of honesty and truth, we cannot make much progress. No matter how bitter it may be truth liberates. Nigerians must reject mis-informants and commanders-in-mischief who love to manipulate the truth when it does not serve the unjust status quo.”
Former service chiefs should be investigated by ICC, says Fayose
Former Governor of Ekiti State , Ayodele Fayose , has called on the International Criminal Court and other relevant authorities to investigate the tenure of the “ sacked” service chiefs .
Fayose who shared this on his official Twitter handle called for a probe into the human rights abuses and extrajudicial killings under their watch .
He also accused them of only serving themselves and their pockets , rendering Nigeria insecure.
He said this following their resignation which was announced on Tuesday by the President Muhammadu Buhari
He said , “ The new service chiefs should learn from their immediate predecessors and remember nothing lasts forever .
“ It is my call to the ICC and other relevant authorities that the tenure of the “ sacked” service chiefs should be investigated, most importantly human rights abuses and extrajudicial killings under their watch and commands .
“ The sacked service chiefs only served themselves and their pockets and can at best be described as “ Disservice Chiefs ” under whom Nigeria became completely insecure.
“ Though coming after persistent pressure from Nigerians, President Buhari ’ s removal of the Service Chiefs and their replacement is a right step in the right direction.
“ It is yet another victory for the people of Nigeria . ”
Meanwhile, new service chiefs were announced today by the President who gave their names as Major -General Leo Irabor , Chief of Defence Staff ; Major -General I . Attahiru , Chief of Army Staff ; Rear Admiral A. Z Gambo , Chief of Naval Staff ; and Air – Vice Marshal I . O Amao , Chief of Air Staff .
