Not a few Nigerians were jolted when President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday overhauled the nation’s security apparatchik, following the purported resignation of the service chiefs and their on the spur replacements. Although the president had in his New Year broadcast hinted on the planned removal of the service chiefs, not many believed him, owing principally to his reluctance to heed the persistent clamour for their sack on alleged incompetence and worsening insecurity in the country.
Expectedly, a wide spectrum of Nigerians have set agenda for the new service chiefs, namely, 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 Isiaka O. Amao, Chief of Air Staff. They are to replace General Abayomi Olonisakin; Lt-Gen. Tukur Buratai; Vice Admiral Ibok Ekwe Ibas; and Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar as defence chief, COAS, Navy and CAS, respectively, who have held the top military positions since 2015.
The agenda for the new service chiefs border on ending the worsening insecurity across the country, particularly the Boko Haram insurgency, which has been ravaging the North-east for over a decade, banditry, kidnapping, among others. The national secretary, Coalition for United Political Parties (CUPP), Peter Ameh, said, “The new service chiefs must now go to work to make sure that Nigeria is secure for our people to travel across state lines to do business and prosper the nation without the fear of being kidnapped. I have no doubt that those appointed to lead the new and successful onslaught against those who have boldly taken over our ungoverned spaces have been tested and trusted to do the job.”
Executive Director, Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), Auwal Musa Rafsanjani, charged the new service chiefs to be professionals and not politicians in uniform. “The situation where on every issue the army issues statement to condemn human rights groups and media for calling on the security agencies to respect human rights should not continue under this dispensation. They have to review the current strategy on terrorism and counter insurgency, the de-radicalization without community victims healing is not productive. Secondly, they need to provide proper facilities and equipment to enable soldiers to effectively deal with the insurgents. Besides, Nigeria needs to take care of the welfare of her troops”.
Leader, Senate Minority Caucus caucus, Enyinnaya Abaribe (PDP, Abia South), said, “Let’s hope this team would stem the tide of insecurity.” Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Benjamin Kalu, said with the appointment of the new service chiefs, fresh strategies, energy and new leadership style in the fight against insurgency are now expected.
However, while some Nigerians were setting agenda for the new service chiefs there were concomitant mixed reactions from other major stakeholders of the Nigeria project either criticising or hailing President Buhari’s action. National Publicly Secretary, Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), Mr. Emmanuel Yawe, said, “When Buhari came into office as president, the ACF had expected him to sort out the security problems of Nigeria speedily.
Of late, we have complained endlessly about his security failures. We only pray his new security chiefs will serve him and Nigeria better.” Pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation Afenifere’s National Publicity Secretary, Yinka Odumakin, said: “President Buhari has not done a special favour to make us jump in joy. The nepotic way he has handled the security sector has created damage that will take a lot of time to repair if we shall ever be able.”
Although the Middle Belt Forum lauded the replacement of the former service chiefs, it however kicked against the fact that nobody was appointed from the South-east. Its National President, Dr. Pogu Bitrus, said exclusion of the South-east from the list of new appointees is wrong and capable of worsening the volatile situation in that zone. PANDEF National Publicity Secretary, Ken Robinson, commended the president for responding, though belatedly, to calls of well-meaning Nigerians by accepting the resignation of the erstwhile service chiefs.
The immediate past President-General, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief Nnia Nwodo, who now serves as national coordinator of Southern and Middle Belt Leaders Forum, of which Ohanaeze is part, expressed shock and disappointment at President Buhari’s non-inclusion of an Igbo among the newly appointed service chiefs.
Flowing from the foregoing aggregated views of a wide spectrum of Nigerians, it is obvious that Nigerians from all walks of life are united in their quest for a re-invigorated security sector in the country. Although, the president thanked the outgoing service chiefs for their “overwhelming achievements in our efforts at bringing enduring peace to our dear country,” and wished them well in their future endeavours, their efforts leave much to be desired.
We, therefore, congratulate the new service chiefs and urge them not to disappoint Nigerians’ expectation to restore peace, law and order across the country, particularly, bringing the Boko Haram mayhem and the rising cases of banditry to a decisive end. They must deploy their professionalism to justify the confidence reposed in them by President Buhari. We wish them success in the herculean task to free Nigeria from the stranglehold of insurgents and other criminal elements.
