The Nigerian Army has given reasons for Thursday’s retirement of some senior officers within the ranks of Major Generals, Brigadier Generals, Colonels, Lieutenant Colonels and a Major.
Their retirement, according to a statement issued last night by Acting Director, Army Public Relations, Colonel Sani Kukasheka Usman, was based on “service exigencies.”
Giving more details, he said: “It should be recalled that not too long ago some officers were investigated for being partisan during the 2015 General Elections.
“Similarly, the investigation by the Presidential Committee investigating Defence Contracts revealed a lot. Some officers have already been arraigned in court by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).”
The Army spokesman appealed to the public not to read the retirement out of context as the military must remain apolitical and professional at all times. “We must applaud and support this laudable and bold initiative by the government,” he stressed. (News Express)
Col. Sani must understand that Nigerians cannot just accept anything simply because he said so. There are perceived tendentious political victimization, vendetta, and vindictiveness associated with this administration. There is EFCC targeting only PDP officials for corruption to the exclusion of known APC equal opportunity looters. Igbo people are being mowed down for peaceful assembly and protest, whereas gun-welding jihadists are wreaking havoc with near-impunity. Therefore, Col. Sani needs to give the Nigerian public more convincing reasons why most of the officers purged out of service are southerners. One would have expected him to provide a detailed breakdown of officers with the categories of offences they they committed; when they were tried and given the opportunities to defend themselves; and when they were convicted. If we go this route of sacking officers because of their perceived loyalty to the outgoing administration, what will prevent future presidents from setting up a panel to weed out those they consider “undesirables” from the armed forces because of their perceived loyalty to their predecessors. The volatility of the Nigerian state beckons on the officialdom to be mindful of adding more ugly and untidy precedents to our chaotic history. We must do everything needful to protect and insulate the military institution from our bland politics.